I 



i 

) 



REASONS 



FOR 

BECOMING A METHODIST. 

BY REV. I. SMITH, 

FOR SOME TEARS A MEMBER OF THR CLOSE-COMMUNION CALVINIST 
BAPTIST CHURCH. 



INCLUDING 

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR^ RELIGIOUS 
EXPERIENCE UP TO THE TIME OF HIS 
BECOMING A METHODIST. 



BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, 
BY CHARLES H. PEIRCE. 

1 850. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, 
in the year 1850, 
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of 
Massachusetts. 



STEREOTYPED AXD P RENTED BY 
GEORGE C. EAXD AND COMPANY. 



3do> 14 i8sic 



PREFACE. 



This unpretending volume is designed, in the first 
place, to answer the question so frequently asked the 
writer, — "How came you to be a Methodist?" 
Secondly, it is intended to supply a place which is 
not filled by any other book, by presenting, at one 
view, and in a brief and comprehensive manner,, the 
distinguishing features and excellences of Methodism, 
both in its doctrines and economy ; and also some of 
the evidences of their Scriptural character and great 
efficiency. Nothing is more evident than the fact, 
that Methodism still suffers greatly from the igno- 
rance that quite generally prevails in regard to the 
true character of its distinguishing doctrines and 
usages, as well as from the misrepresentations of its 
enemies. To aid in removing the former, and refut- 
ing the latter is the design of this work. 

Should any of our Baptist friends object to the 
title by which we have designated them, we would 



4 



PREFACE. 



merely say, that our former worthy pastor, the mosi 
able and influential man in his Association, was ac- 
customed to say, that he would be willing to have 
it written in large capitals on the front of his hat, 
" Close- Communion Calvinistic Baptist." For his 
manly, Christian frankness in declaring his senti- 
ments we respected him, and for his earnest piety 
we loved him while living, and cherish his memory 
since he has gone to his reward in Heaven. 

In submitting his manuscript to the press, the 
writer yields to the judgment of those, in whose 
opinions he places great confidence. 

May all be brought at last, however we may differ 
in opinion here, to join the general church above, is 
the humble, but earnest, prayer of the 

Authoe. 



REASONS 

FOR 

BECOMING A METHODIST. 



CHAPTER I. 

SKETCH OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 

At the age of fifteen, I received my first 
serious impressions in regard to my true con- 
dition, as a sinner before God ; and while attend- 
ing a series of meetings, held in the Methodist 
Church in the neighborhood of my father's resi- 
dence, I obtained the pardon of my sins, through 
the atonement of Christ. Had I, at that time, 
been brought under the watch-care of the 
Church, I think it would have saved me from 
that fearful state of backsliding, into which I 
subsequently fell. But at that time, my parents, 
though professedly pious, (and I doubt not really 
so at heart,) were neither of them members of 
any particular church ; nor were any of the fam- 
ily save one sister, who was a member of the 

5 



6 



REASONS FOR 



Freewill Baptist Church, in the adjoining town, 
where the family had attended meeting for some 
years. Having, therefore, no settled place of 
worship, and being left without the watch-care 
and restraining influences, which every Chris- 
tian church exercises over its members ; and, 
also, being at a period of life when, of all 
others, I most needed them, I soon grew neg- 
ligent of duty, sacrificed my peace of mind, 
indulged in the follies of youth, lost my confi- 
dence before the world, and in the presence of 
my Saviour, refused to bear the Cross, and 
" walked again in the counsel of the ungodly, 
stood in the way of sinners, and sat in the seat 
of the scornful." So hardened did I become 
in sin, that I approached to the very verge of 
infidelity ; but through the infinite mercy and 
compassion of the Redeemer, I was not left to 
make the dreadful plunge into the dark abyss. 
To this day, when I reflect upon my situation 
at that time, I shudder at the thought of my 
near approach to the pit of destruction, and can 
never feel sufficiently grateful to God for my 
happy deliverance through grace. 

When about eighteen years of age I was 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



7 



partially reclaimed from my backslidings, but 
still neglecting my duty to confess Christ before 
the world, and identify myself with the people 
of God, I soon relapsed in a measure, though 
never, I think, to the extent in sin, to which I 
had previously gone. I was far, however, from 
living the life of a Christian. At this time I 
sincerely endeavored to persuade myself that 
Universalism was true ; I read several books 
advocating this doctrine, went to hear ministers 
of this order preach, but I soon found, that in 
exact proportion to my interest and confidence 
in their sentiments, was my entire indifference 
to all experimental godliness ; and also that 
their sentiments were directly at war with the 
entire Scriptures. 

At the age of twenty, God was pleased to 
call after me again, in a special manner, during 
a revival of religion in the town where I re- 
sided, and at that time I fully resolved to de- 
vote myself to the service of God, and no more 
trample upon his mercy and grace. This reso- 
lution, I have been enabled, by his grace, in 
some good degree, I trust, to keep until this 
time, and I still have a strong confidence that I 



8 



REASONS FOB, 



shall, by the same grace, be enabled to continue 
in his service to the end of life. At that time 
my oldest brother and wife were members of 
the close-communion Calvinist Baptist Church ; 
the only members of the family then living, 
(the sister referred to having died in peace 
some years before,) connected with any church. 
I subsequently united with the same church, 
though not until some months had passed, and 
I had read to some extent on the subject of 
baptism, &c. I do not however recollect of 
having seen a single book in defence of the 
views of the Pedo-Baptists ; for such works 
were not as abundant and accessible in that 
vicinity, as those in favor of the exclusive views 
of the Baptists ; neither do I recollect ever 
hearing a sermon on the subject of baptism up 
to that time, or for some years after, except 
those preached by Baptists. The latter, how- 
ever, were neither few nor far between. I am 
confident that my experience, in this particular, 
is not unlike most others. The truth is, that 
nearly all that is said on the subject of bap- 
tism, is said by Baptists, and of course all on 
one side. 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



9 



I remained a member of that church about 
three years. During that time I was strongly 
urged by a celebrated Baptist Evangelist, who 
held a protracted meeting in the church, to 
enter the ministry, but I had not then any ex- 
pectations of ever filling so responsible an office. 

I felt it, however, my duty to be more active 
in the cause of religion than I had hitherto 
been. With this conviction, I went w T est, in- 
tending to teach — (an occupation I had fol- 
lowed during the winter seasons for several 
years.) I hoped by this means to enlarge my 
field of usefulness, in thus placing myself in 
direct communication with the rising generation 
— one of the most hopeful fields of Christian 
effort. 

While engaged in teaching in Ohio, I provi- 
dentially fell in with President Mahan's Lec- 
tures on Christian Perfection, and was greatly 
interested in that (to me) new subject. About 
this time I became deeply impressed, by the 
Spirit, and the leadings of Divine Providence, 
that it was my duty to preach the gospel. But 
to yield my mind to these convictions was a 
most difficult task. I plead my age, my want 



10 



REASONS FOR 



of a preparation, and many other circumstances 
in excuse; still I felt that "woe is me, if I 
preach not the Gospel." I often returned from 
the place of worship to weep and pray, all 
night ; sometimes waking from my sleep in 
distress, and sometimes dreaming of my duty. 
Finding no rest, I yielded to my convictions, 
and promised the Lord I would submit to his 
will. 

Having closed my school, I went to Oberlin, 
in the winter of 1841, and commenced my 
studies for the ministry. There my mind was 
still more deeply interested in the subject of 
Christian holiness, and more fully enlightened 
in regard to its nature, both by the preaching I 
heard, and the opportunity I had of associating, 
with those who stood as living witnesses of its 
truth, confirming their testimony by their daily 
walk and conversation. 

After much reflection and prayer, and as 
thorough an investigation of the Scriptures and 
other writings as I was able to make, I became 
fully satisfied that the doctrine was true. That, 
what God requires, what the prophets, apostles, 
and the Saviour himself prayed for, and that 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



11 



which God has promised to give, might be ob- 
tained. That I — that every Christian — might 
love God with all his heart, and his neighbor as 
himself; — be m&diQ perfect in love. 

I commenced seeking to obtain so desirable a 
blessing as that of a pure heart, or in the lan- 
guage of the pious psalmist, " a clean heart 
and a right spirit." I was attentive to all the 
spiritual opportunities that I enjoyed, but I was 
yet ignorant of many things in regard to the 
means of obtaining the blessing I desired ; and, 
like the sinner oftentimes when seeking pardon, 
I was laboring to make myself better, to get 
ready to receive it, instead of carefully examin- 
ing my heart, that I might know its deformity, 
and making, in the strength of Grace, an entire 
consecration of all to God, for time and for 
eternity, in faith relying upon his promise and 
faithfulness, to accept, " and cleanse me from 
all unrighteousness." But the Lord was lead- 
ing me by his Spirit and providence in a way I 
knew r not. I continued thus for some months, 
during which, I enjoyed the clearest evidence 
of my acceptance with God, and of his pres- 
ence with me daily. But I saw clearly that it 



12 



REASONS FOR 



was his pleasure that I should live near the 
throne. I had not that strong faith I wit 
nessed in others, and saw promised to all in the 
Bible. I found in the hour of temptation, that 
there were enemies within, propensities to evil, 
rising up and combining their influence with the 
enemy from without, in order to bring me into 
captivity to the law of sin. These were only 
kept down by constant watching while it w^as 
the will of God that they should be cast out. 
I had not that perfect love which I saw plainly 
that the Bible required, I felt a burning zeal 
to do good, but I felt most sensibly the imper- 
fections of my armor. 

While in this frame of mind, I went one eve- 
ning to a prayer meeting. The spirit of the 
Master was there, and at the close a fellow 
student, who was a backslider, taking me by 

the hand, said, " Brother S , you must go 

with me to my room. I cannot live so." I 
saw that he was in great distress of mind, and 
without hesitation accompanied him to his room. 
He seemed at times almost in despair, yet con- 
stantly crying for mercy, and entreating me to 
pray for him. This I endeavored to do, but he 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



13 



found no comfort. It was there I saw, and felt 
my want of faith ; and I went from that room 
fully resolved never to rest until I obtained 
that faith which claims the promise , and which 
can be exercised only when " our heart con- 
demns us not." Nothing less than that " per- 
fect love that caste th out fear/' could inspire 
me with that faith, and without it I was but 
poorly qualified to labor for the salvation of 
souls. 

That night a most glorious revival of religion 
commenced in the Institution ; one of the most 
powerful I ever witnessed. It pervaded the 
entire Institution, then composed of nearly six 
hundred students, and the appropriate number 
of officers and teachers. I entered into a sol- 
emn covenant with a fellow student, to spend 
all the time, save that necessary for sleep, our 
meals and attending meeting, in earnest and 
united prayer, for the attainment of the bles- 
sing we so earnestly desired, until our efforts 
should be crowned with success. Many were 
the hours we spent in our rooms, in the fields, 
and wherever we could find a retired spot, ear- 
nestly pleading for " a clean heart and a right 



14 



REASONS FOU 



spirit." Oftentimes we seemed almost to grasp 
the prize, when the tempter, taking advantage 
of our ignorance and inexperience, would divert 
our minds from Christ and his promise, to look- 
ing to our feelings, comparing our state of mind 
with others, &c, and by these means lead us 
again into darkness. 

After having labored in this way about a 
week, we were enabled, through the counsels of 
one of the tutors in college, and the grace of 
God, to commit ourselves entirely upon the 
promise and faithfulness of God our Saviour, 
believing, according to the divine assurance, 
that he accepted in the present tense. And 
although this exercise of faith was not attended 
at the time with any particular emotions of joy, 
or any other than a consciousness of having 
given all for Christ, and of relying implicitly 
and unwaveringly on his promise to save to the 
uttermost, or from all sin, I at once felt a de- 
gree of confidence in prayer, a strength of 
faith, I never realized before. I could pray 
directly to God through Christ. I seemed sus- 
pended by the single chord of God's love, re- 
vealed in his promise, holding on by the hand 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



15 



of faith, every prop, by way of works and 
every thing else, but the love of God in Christ, 
being removed from beneath me ; and there I 
hung, perfectly safe, a sinner saved by grace, 
through faith. Satan buffeted me, but I held 
on, as for my life; yea, for eternal life. I was 
fully resolved never to let go my hold of the 
promise, come joy or sorrow. 

Having remained in this state of mind about 
twenty-four hours, I received such a baptism of 
the Spirit, as I had never before known or an- 
ticipated ; my soul was filled with joy unspeak- 
able and full of glory. It was enough ; my 
heart was overflowing with love, peace and joy 
in the Holy Ghost. Of the reality of my ex- 
perience at this time, I have no more doubt, 
than I have of my personal existence. But it 
was all of grace, through faith ; and to the 
honor of that grace, in the Saviour provided, 
and in the gospel promised, it ever has been 
and ever shall be declared. 

Up to this time, I had never had the least 
doubt of the correctness of my position as a 
close-communion Baptist. Indeed, so absorbed 
had I been in the pursuit of the ruling desire 



16 



REASONS FOR 



of my heart, that I had scarcely thought upon 
the subject at all. But a great change had 
taken place in my feelings toward the members 
of other churches. I had lost entirely, though 
almost insensibly, all those uncharitable feelings 
which are the natural and almost necessary re- 
sult of holding and advocating the exclusive 
views of the Baptist Church. I found my con- 
fidence, love and sympathy flowing out to mem- 
bers of other churches with the same ardor with 
which they were extended to members of the 
Baptist Church. I had come to love Christians 
in the ratio of their likeness to Christ, and not 
according to the name they bore. 

About this time the sacrament of the Lord's 
Supper was administered in the church. It 
was a season of great interest ; a deep solem- 
nity pervaded the entire congregation. The 
people of God were greatly refreshed and hum- 
bled ; backsliders were tremblingly alive to a 
sense of their ingratitude, and the impenitent 
were awed into a solemn reverence. All felt 
that God was there of a truth, to bless and 
sanction his ordinance, and to comfort and sanc- 
tify his people in the performance of their most 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



17 



solemn duty. In accordance with my princi- 
ples of close-communion, I sat one side, a silent 
looker on, but not an idle spectator ; few, if any 
such, could be found in that large audience, for 
God was in the midst of them. 

It was a combination of such circumstances 
and influences, that first led me to question 
the correctness of my principles in regard to 
the communion. This being a Congregational 
Church, few if any of the members had ever 
been immersed, and they were, therefore, in my 
view, unbaptized, and had no right to come to 
the table of the Lord ; and in truth, upon such 
principles, there was no table of the Lord there, 
and no Church, and no authorized administrator 
of the sacrament. None of the persons having 
been baptized, they were none of them in the 
Church ; as baptism is, according to the Bap- 
tists' doctrine, the only door into the Church ; 
and as neither ministers nor members belonged 
to the Church, it was impossible for them to 
administer, or receive her exclusive privileges. 
Yet many of those communicants I personally 
knew, and knew them to be deeply pious, to 
enjoy the presence, communion and fellowship 
2 



18 



SEASONS FOR 



of God by his Spirit in an eminent degree ; and 
I now perceived, that the Lord not only owned 
and blessed them, as Christians, extending to 
them what a Baptist would call Christian fellow- 
ship ; but that he owned and blessed them in a 
remarkable manner, in the very act of adminis- 
tering and receiving the sacrament — in ad- 
ministering and receiving that which my prin- 
ciples pronounced them without authority to 
administer, and -unqualified to receive. I was 
as well satisfied that many, at least, of those 
persons were Christians, and enjoyed communion 
with God our Saviour, as I was that religion 
was to be found in the world. I was as sensible 
of the presence and blessing of God among the 
people at that sacrament, as I was that God 
ever owns and blesses his children. 

I began to inquire into the propriety of my 
being more particular and exclusive in my fel- 
lowship, than my Master ! I reasoned thus : — 
If God owns, blesses and communes with them 
at the sacrament, why should I refuse to par- 
ticipate with them in the blessings of our com- 
mon Lord and Saviour ? Many of them I knew 
enjoyed much more of God's presence and grace 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



19 



than myself, and if the mere fact that they had 
not been baptized according to the decisions of 
my fallible judgment, was a good reason why I 
should admonish them, by withholding my fel- 
lowship, why did not the Lord, the Great 
Teacher and Master in Israel, withhold his 
blessing, and rebuke them, by refusing to com- 
mune with them ? He declares himself a God, 
jealous of his honor. Was I to be more jealous 
than he ? Was I more holy, or was my sanc- 
tion more dangerous ? These reflections led me 
to my Bible — to carefully examine and review 
this whole subject. For most surely, thought 
I, nothing less than the most positive scriptural 
authority, can justify a practice so inconsistent 
with every noble, generous, Christian feeling or 
sentiment, as is that of close-communion. But 
after a careful examination of the Scriptures, 
and much prayer, I came to the settled convic- 
tion, that the Scriptures nowhere authorize us 
to exclude all unbaptized, much less all unini- 
mersed persons from the sacrament of the 
Lord's Supper. That, although it is desirable 
as a matter of order, that baptism should pre- 
cede the Lord's Supper, yet I am fully satisfied, 



20 



BEASONS FOR 



that there is no authority in the Bible for mak- 
ing it a universal rule. There plainly, both from 
reason and the Scriptures, must be many excep- 
tions. The proof of this, if any be needed, I 
shall have occasion to present hereafter. 

But although the principle was established in 
my mind, yet the most difficult and unpleasant 
task remained. A greater cross was yet to 
be borne — to make known my views to my 
old friends, and especially to my brother whom 
I loved as Jonathan loved David, and whom I 
knew to be a strong Baptist. I feared the loss 
of his warm friendship, knowing very well that 
persons who for any cause left the Baptist 
Church were regarded with any other than a 
friendly feeling. I hesitated for a time, but 
finally yielded to my convictions of duty, and 
communicated to him my views on the subject 
of the communion, and was not a little sur- 
prised to learn from him that his mind had 
undergone the same change, and that he had 
been afflicted with similar apprehensions of los- 
ing that ardent affection and sympathy which 
had hitherto existed between us. 

On the subject of Calvinism, my mind had 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



21 



never been fully settled, although I had been 
enabled to assent to it, so far as was necessary 
to be received into the Baptist Church. But 
the more I heard and studied upon the subject, 
the more I was convinced that it was dangerous 
in its tendency, and contrary to the experience 
and common sense of all men, and without 
foundation in the Scriptures. About this time 
my health failing me, I returned to the east, to 
my native town. 

Here I must be allowed to digress from my 
main purpose, to pay a tribute of respect to an 
institution and a class of Christians, whom I 
have every reason to esteem, both for their faith 
and practice. Though I do not embrace every 
sentiment held and advocated by them, I can 
most cheerfully say, that, during my stay at 
Oberlin, I witnessed, both in the institution and 
among the people generally, as much deep and 
practical piety, as I have ever seen among any 
people whatever. And I think if those who 
have spent so much time in endeavoring to 
overthrow their sentiments, would have labored 
more to imitate their earnest piety, it would 
have been much better for them, and for the 



22 



REASONS FOR 



world at large. The Lord bless the brethren 
at Oberlin, has ever been the language of 
my heart since I made their acquaintance. I 
have been greatly benefited by their writings 
and their preaching, as well as by their godly 
examples. 

No longer satisfied with being confined in my 
sympathies and fellowship to the limits of the 
Baptist Church ; believing it also my duty, 
as well as privilege, to extend the hand of 
fellowship to all God's children, members of 
the household of faith, and no longer believing 
the doctrines of Calvinism, and regarding it as 
highly improper to practice or profess, what I 
did not believe, I went before the church and 
stated to them my views on communion, and my 
intention of putting them in practice. This I 
had not yet done, nor did I feel at liberty to do 
so until I had made my position known to the 
church. Whereupon the church voted to with- 
draw fellowship from me, on the account of my 
heretical sentiments in regard to the commun- 
ion. But finally it was concluded, as a matter 
of policy, to withdraw that action, and wait till 
I had violated some rule of the church, at the 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



23 



same time expressing an unwillingness to re- 
ceive me at their table. The next day being 
the Sabbath, I received the sacrament in the 
Congregational Church, and a short time after, 
I had the privilege of communing in the Meth- 
odist Church, and I could not perceive but that 
I was as much profited and blessed as I ever 
had been when communing with my Baptist 
brethren. A committee was very soon appoint- 
ed by the church, to visit and labor with me, 
on this account, and I was notified to appear 
before the church for trial, on charge of em- 
bracing and practicing open-communion prin- 
ciples. The appointed day arrived, and I 
presented myself, with Bible in hand, to see 
the end, and abide the consequences. During 
the trial, it was distinctly and repeatedly de- 
clared, by the elder, deacons and others, that 
they had nothing against me except my princi- 
ples and practice in regard to the communion ; 
that as a Christian they fellowshipped me, and as 
cordially extended to me the hand of Christian 
fellowship as they ever did ; but they could not 
extend to me the hand of Church fellowship, 
because I did not walk orderly. There was 



24 



REASONS FOR 



a great difference, they said, between Chris- 
tian and Church fellowship ; the first they still 
had for me, but not the latter. 

I urged, in my defence, the absence of any 
Scriptural authority for excluding from the 
Supper all unbaptized persons, or any true 
Christian ; that the Scriptures represented all 
true Christians as one in Christ, members of his 
body, and entitled to the same privileges ; that 
the examples left on record by the apostles, of 
church discipline, were either in cases of im- 
morality or a wilful neglect of a plain duty, or 
a perversion of the fundamental principles of 
the Gospel, thereby endangering the salvation 
of souls ; that the New Testament drew the 
line of distinction between saints and sinners — 
those who obeyed and those who disobeyed, 
those who loved God, and those who loved him 
not, but nowhere between the baptized and the 
unbaptized ; and finally, that many good Chris- 
tians, holy men and eminent for talent, who had 
studied the Bible prayerfully, to know their 
duty, as sincerely believed they had been val- 
idly baptized, by sprinkling, as they did that 
they had been by immersion. Although I was 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



25 



not prepared, at that time, to advocate their 
views of baptism, yet if the Lord was so far 
satisfied with their baptism as not only to com- 
mune with them by his Spirit, but to own, and 
bless them, in the act of partaking of the Sup- 
per, which he evidently did in an especial man- 
ner, I could no longer refuse to give them my 
hand in fellowship. Those that were good 
enough for the Lord to fellowship, were good 
enough for me. I dared not claim to be either 
better or wiser than my Master. Whom the 
Lord received, I received. Those He fellow- 
shipped, I must fellowship. 

The church then proceeded, without making 
any reply to my positions, (though an elder said 
they could be answered without any trouble,) to 
vote upon the question of expulsion, and I was 
declared expelled from the church. The ques- 
tion being decided, I requested the church to 
give me a letter, recommending me to the 
Christian fellowship of the Lord's people, 
wherever my lot might be cast. Some objec- 
tions being made, such as want of precedent, 
&c, I gave them these reasons for making the 
request, — I was expecting to go immediately 
3 



26 



REASONS FOR 



among entire strangers, and should in all prob- 
ability go before uniting with any church, and 
I might be placed in circumstances where the 
fact of my having been turned out of the 
church would prove a serious embarrassment 
to me, and where a letter of the kind I sug- 
gested would not only prevent any such diffi- 
culty, but also give me an introduction to the 
Lord's children. 

My second reason was, I wished to test the 
truth of a sentiment prevailing among all Bap- 
tists, and which they had so frequently avowed 
during the trial, viz., that they had Christian 
fellowship for me and others, for whom they 
could not have Church fellowship. If they 
had it, as they said, I wished them to put it in 
black and w T hite, and show that it w T as a reality, 
and not mere talk. But they refused to do it, 
thereby proving to a demonstration the correct- 
ness of an opinion I had entertained, and in 
which I have since been confirmed, viz., that 
their distinction between Christian and Church 
fellowship is a distinction without a difference ; 
and that just in proportion to their confidence 
in, and zeal for, their exclusive views of baptism 



BECOMING- A METHODIST. 



27 



and the communion, will be found their want of 
charity for, and sympathy with, all who think 
differently from themselves in this matter — or 
are not Baptists.* That the course pursued in 
my case, is in accordance with their general 
practice, may be seen from the fact that an 
influential Baptist Church recently expelled one 
of her oldest members, on the charge of heresy r , 
for merely holding the opinion that it was her 
privilege to commune with other Christians be- 
sides Baptists, though she had never even ex- 
pressed the intention of doing it. Elder M., a 
popular preacher, and one of their strong men, 
was asked this question : " Do you believe that 
any who are not immersed will be saved?" He 
evaded a direct reply ; but being pressed to 
answer, he said in substance, if not in these 
very words, " I do not profess to be wise above 
what is written. The Bible says none will be 
saved who do not obey the gospel. And none 
obey the gospel, who are not immersed." 

* The clerk of the church subsequently gave me a certi- 
fied copy of the record of my connection with the church, 
and stating that at such a time I embraced and practiced 
open-communion principles, " and for this and this only I was 
labored with, and cut off from the church." 



28 



KEASONS FOR 



That Baptists do at times, and in some indi- 
vidual instances, habitually, have charity for 
and fellowship with other denominations, is evi- 
dent. But it is only when they lay aside their 
views on baptism and the communion, for the 
time, and give their attention to the great and 
fundamental principles of the gospel, laboring 
to save souls. While they have this fellowship 
in exercise they would gladly commune with all 
God's children but for the rule, and when the 
spirit of Church fellowship disappears, we look 
in vain for Christian fellowship. Where one ex- 
ists, the other is sure to be found, and when one 
ceases, the other ceases also. The moment you 
touch the subject of baptism, every zealous Bap- 
tist invariably loses all his Christian fellowship. 
Who has not seen an exhibition of these things 
in a revival ? It is indeed inconsistent with 
their principles for them to recognize any other 
church or ministry than their own. For, accord- 
ing to their views of baptism, and its relation to 
the church, there can be no other church or 
ministry. Their principles are no less exclusive 
and bigoted than the High Churchman and the 
Romanist. And the fact that they utterly re- 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 29 



fuse to give their members letters, to any other 
church save a Baptist, proves conclusively, that 
they so regard it. 

A man who had belonged to the Methodist 
Church became a Baptist ; he was asked if he 
had called for a letter, or said any thing to 
them of his intention of leaving ? He replied, 
" No, nor do I intend to, for I do not consider 
that they have any church, or any right to give 
a letter." This he had learned in his new 
school, and it is in perfect keeping with their 
general practice ; though they are generally 
careful to tell it as publicly as possible after 
they have fairly secured one from another fold ! 
But it is inquired, if they hold such sentiments, 
why do their ministers exchange with other 
denominations, thereby virtually recognizing 
their ministry and church membership ? We 
answer, it is, in many instances, because their 
religion predominates over their exclusive senti- 
ments, while in others it is undoubtedly a mere 
matter of policy. It would be any thing but 
popular, or policy, for them to refuse such inter- 
course. It would be obnoxious to the senti- 
ments of Christian people generally. But we 



30 



REASONS FOR 



are well aware that many who belong to the 
Baptist Church have no sympathy for these 
bigoted sentiments. But being in favor of im- 
mersion, they have joined the Baptists as one 
branch of Christ's Church, not considering the 
exclusive character of their sentiments; while 
others saw, and revolted at first at the thought 
of their excluding from their fellowship all other 
Christians, and adopting such narrow and big- 
oted sentiments. But believing that immersion 
is the only mode of baptism, and assuming as 
true what they were falsely told by Baptists, 
that all denominations believed, viz., that no 
person, however pious, ought to come to the 
communion if he had not been baptized, they 
have, though reluctantly, embraced these senti- 
ments in view of all their necessary conclusions, 
and set themselves to defend them. As a nat- 
ural consequence, they soon find their feelings in 
agreement with the exclusiveness of their senti- 
ments, which, as we have seen, are nearly allied 
to the intolerance of Romanism, as says their 
great apostle, Rev. Robert Hall, himself a Bap- 
tist, but rejecting close-communion. "I am 
fully persuaded," he says, " that few of our 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



31 



brethren have duly reflected on the strong re- 
semblance which subsists between the preten- 
sions of the Church of Rome, and the princi- 
ples implied in strict communion ; both equally 
intolerant; the one armed with pains and pen- 
alties, the other, I trust, disdaining such aid : 
the one the intolerance of power, the other of 
weakness." He also says in another place, 
that "the close-communion Baptists make the 
door into their church narrower than the gate 
to Heaven." 



32 



REASONS FOR 



CHAPTER II. 

COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF THE DOCTRINES OF 
THE M. E. CHURCH. 

Being now fully separated from the Baptist 
Church, and believing it my duty, as well as 
privilege, to belong to, and enjoy the spiritual 
aids of some branch of Christ's Church, I began 
carefully to examine the doctrines and usages 
of the different evangelical communions. Hav- 
ing no prepossessions in favor of any one in 
particular, I trusted, with divine assistance, that 
I might form, at least, an impartial judgment 
in my choice. But I would not intimate, that 
others had not been as impartial in their choice, 
and yet chosen differently. I shall endeavor to 
give, as briefly as possible, the reason for pre- 
ferring the Methodist Episcopal Church, with- 
out reflecting in the least on those who are of a 
different opinion. 

Three things demand the prayerful consider- 
ation of every person in determining with what 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 33 



branch of the Christian church he shall unite — 
viz., purity and simplicity of doctrine, the 
means afforded for spiritual improvement, and 
facilities for doing good, or of fulfilling the great 
design and commission of the church, to convert 
the world. After about six months diligent 
and prayerful investigation, and in view of 
these considerations, I deliberately, and from 
a solemn conviction of duty, united with the 
M. E. Church, because I sincerely believed her 
doctrines to be purer, more like the simplicity 
of the gospel, and in greater harmony with 
each other; that her usages afforded better 
opportunities for my spiritual improvement, and 
growth in grace, also, greater advantages for 
doing good, than any of the other churches with 
which I was acquainted. My reasons for this 
opinion, will be found in the following brief 
statement of some of the most important doc- 
trines and usages of Methodism. 

Methodists hold, in common with other evan- 
gelical churches, the doctrine of the Trinity, 
the depravity of man's nature, the vicarious 
atonement of Christ, the immortality of the 
soul, and a future state of everlasting rewards 



34 



REASONS FOR 



and punishments. They believe that man was 
created holy, " in the image of God," possess- 
ing the power of choice, or the ability to choose 
between good and evil ; that he did, of his own 
free will, choose evil, thereby incurring the pen- 
alty, which God had denounced against him, in 
case of such disobedience. This was death. 
" In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt 
surely die." They believe on that day he died ; 
his body became as dead, in the eyes of the 
law ; for its sentence was pronounced against 
him, " dust thou art, and unto the dust shalt 
thou return ; " and he at once entered into a 
state of spiritual death, losing God's image from 
his heart, which consisted in " righteousness 
and true holiness." In this state of death, both 
body and soul were involved ; all ability to do 
good was lost, and man would have been for 
ever dead in sin ; (and consequently the whole 
prospective race in him ;) for this must of neces- 
sity have remained to all eternity, unless it can 
be shown that death will sometime bring forth 
life. This must have been the end of the race, 
but for the promise of a Redeemer, " the seed 
4)f the woman." Through this gracious pro- 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



35 



vision, there was secured to man another state 
of probation, in which he might regain what he 
had lost by sin, viz., the image and favor of 
God. This provision, or the atonement of 
Christ, is an unconditional and universal remedy 
for sinful man. He was "a Lamb slain from 
the foundation of the world," " not for our sins 
only, but for the sins of the whole world" The 
benefits of the atonement are in part uncon- 
ditional, and in part conditional. Among the 
unconditional benefits, we notice the resurrec- 
tion of the body, " both of the just and of the 
unjust;" the removing of the guilt of original 
sin, so that we are not held accountable for it, 
and restoring to man the ability to turn from 
his sins and seek the grace and mercy of God, 
through" Christ — "that grace of God which 
bringeth salvation (and) hath appeared to all 
men," " that light which lighteth every man 
that cometh into the world." Among the con- 
ditional benefits of the atonement, are, the par- 
don of our sins, the renewing or regeneration 
of our hearts by the Holy Ghost, the sanctifi- 
cation of our spirits ; in short the present and 
eternal salvation of our souls is offered to us on 



36 



REASONS FOR 



condition of our faith in Christ ; that we repent 
of our sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and bring forth the fruits of obedience. Hence 
we believe "in God the Saviour of all men, 
(and) the special Saviour of them that be- 
lieve." "That Christ gave himself a ransom 
for all" yet "he that belie veth not shall he 
damned" 

These views of the atonement, though adopted 
by some others, are nevertheless peculiarities of 
Methodism, distinguishing it from the doctrine 
of the high Calvinists, who hold that Christ 
died only for the elect. Methodists believe, in 
accordance with the whole tenor of the Scrip- 
tures, that life and salvation are freely offered 
to every man, and that God gives to every 
intelligent, accountable being, grace sufficient to 
enable him to receive the offer of life and be 
saved, and then calls upon every individual to 
choose for himself whom he will serve ; per- 
suading and entreating him to choose life, but 
leaving him free to choose death. They believe 
that God never did, and never will bring any 
irresistible influences to bear upon any person, 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 37 



to insure their salvation,* but that there is one 
universal offer and invitation made to all, which 
all are alike free to accept, and all alike free to 
reject. With propriety, then, may God say, 
"Are not my ways equal?" And Paul may 
assert that " He is no respecter of persons," a 
God " without partiality." 

Thus does Methodism give all the praise and 
glory of man's salvation to God's grace, while 
it casts all the blame of the sinner's neglect 
and consequent destruction upon himself. They 
might have come but they u would not" " They 
knew their duty but did it not." In this, the 
Methodist Church differ, materially from all Cal- 
vinistic churches ; from the old school Calvinists 
who hold with Calvin that God decreed from 
all eternity whom he would save, without any 
regard to their faith or obedience, and, also, 
whom he would damn, without any regard to 
their unbelief and disobedience," and that "the 
number of the elect, and also of the reprobates, 

*The case of Saul is said to be an instance of irresistible 
conversion. But he was miraculously convicted of the truth 
of Christianity, nnd no farther, for he says r " / was not disobe- 
dient to the heavenly vision" showing that obedience was 
wholly voluntary on his part. 



38 



REASONS FOR 



was so definitely fixed, that it could not be in- 
creased or diminished.? No wonder Calvin 
called it " a horrible decree" Yet most Cal- 
vinists in past ages have believed it ; in some 
form or other, it is found in their creeds. They 
differ no less in reality, though some less in ap- 
pearance, from the modern Calvinists, who hold 
that God has foreordained whatsoever comes to 
pass ; so 'that not only nothing comes to pass 
without his knowledge and permission, but "not 
without his foreordaining it," sin not excepted. 
Also they teach that God gives to all men com- 
mon grace, or a common call which none ever 
obey, and which they have not the moral power 
necessary to obey ; and then that he gives to 
the elect r a special call, or effectual grace, as 
they term it, and all such will necessarily be 
brought in, by a kind of irresistible influence. 
Those that receive the special call, they teach, 
are no less sinful and ill-deserving, than others 
who only have a common call. I once asked a 
Calvinist minister if he believed that if God 
had been pleased to give the same grace to 
those who are now in hell, that he did give 
unconditionally to those who are in heaven, that 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 39 



they would have been saved ? He replied, " I 
have no doubt but they would. " How then can 
he be what Paul declares him to be, " a God 
without partiality; " and " no respecter of per- 
sons ?" Are such "ways equal?" Is it said, 
he was under no obligation to any ? That does 
not help the matter in the least. If a man had 
three sons, all equally unworthy, and equally 
needy, and should bestow large favors upon two, 
and none on the other, would he not be partial ? 
And how can God punish men eternally for not 
obeying the gospel, when they never had the 
power to obey it ? Is it said that their wicked 
hearts are all that render it morally impossible 
for them to obey ? But did they not bring 
those very wicked hearts into the world with 
them ; and have they ever had the power or 
grace necessary to change them, on their own 
principles ? If not, are they in fault ? Some, 
pressed with these monstrous absurdities, have 
taken the opposite extreme, and deny the doc- 
trine of depravity, and assert that man has a 
natural ability, independent of the Spirit or 
grace of God, to change hi3 heart, and live a 
holy life. So one extreme begets its opposite. 



40 



REASONS K>ft 



Who can help admiring the simplicity and con- 
sistency of Methodism, especially when con- 
trasted with these mysteries mystified? We 
confess it looks to us like a beautiful and har- 
monious system of gospel truth. 

But it is said, Calvinist ministers preach free 
salvation, free grace, and free will, as well as 
Methodists ! This reminds me of the remarks 
of a worthy and influential Baptist minister, 
who was unusually frank and outspoken in all 
his sentiments, for which we respect and honor 

him. " They say," said he, " that Elder B 

preaches election and predestination in the 
morning, and free will and free salvation in the 
afternoon, and that one contradicts the other* 
Well, I find (Galvinian) election and predesti- 
nation in the Bible, and I preach it ; I find 
free will and free salvation in the Bible, and I 
preach it; it is not my business to reconcile the 
Scriptures, but to preach them ! " This was 
a most commendable acknowledgment, viz., 
that Galvinian election and free salvation, are 
irreconcilable. 

Methodists believe it the privilege of every 
Christian to enjoy the witness of the Spirit ; to 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 41 

have u the Spirit, witnessing with their spirits, 
that they are born of God." That they may 
know their acceptance with God, having the 
witness in their hearts crying Abba Father; 
and be able to say with the Apostle John, " And 
hereby we know that he abide th in us, by the 
Spirit which he hath given us." This is one of 
the peculiarities of Methodism ; and although it 
is at the present day admitted, and sometimes 
advocated by others, yet it should be remem- 
bered, that within fifty years, yea a much less 
time, Methodists were regarded and represented 
as a band of wild fanatics, who pretended to 
know their acceptance with God ; and w T ere ac- 
cused by all Calvinist churches of boasting of 
their piety, being self-righteous because they 
preached and professed to enjoy the witness of 
the Spirit. They contended, that no one could 
know whether he was a Christian or not ; he might 
have a faint hope ; but he must wait in uncer- 
tainty till after death, or until the Judgment ; 
and then, if he was one of the elect, well, if not, 
his hopes would perish ; that just in proportion 
to a person's confidence that he had religion, was 
the probability that he was deceived, and if he 
4 



42 



EEASONS FOR 



knew he had it, he was certainly without it. 
But we are thankful that a better sentiment is 
prevailing at the present day, and we hope to 
see the leaven work until the whole lump is 
leavened. Let it not, however, be forgotten 
that the Methodists were the first in modern 
times to advocate the doctrine, that we might 
know our acceptance with God, and that they 
did it at the sacrifice of their reputation among 
other denominations. Who would wish to travel 
all his days in a state of awful uncertainty, not 
knowing whether he was going in the way to 
Heaven, or direct to hell? No wonder that 
those who believed this considered religion a 
gloomy subject, an awful mystery ; but, "I show 
unto you a more excellent way." 

The doctrine of Christian perfection, or holi- 
ness of heart, is another distinguishing doctrine 
of Methodism, and one that first drew my at- 
tention to it. There is, to me, and to everjr 
true Methodist, a peculiar excellence and impor- 
tance in the doctrine of perfect love ; and it is 
a great privilege to sit under the preaching of 
those who not only teach, but live in the enjoy- 
ment of this blessing; and especially to be a 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 43 



fellow laborer with them in such a work; viz., 
" In spreading scriptural holiness over these 
lands." A work delightful to perform, and 
glorious to contemplate. 

Methodists do not believe in any absolute 
perfection. They believe that men will of ne- 
cessity be imperfect in many things. They 
must be imperfect in knowledge, and conse- 
quently liable to many mistakes, both in thought 
and action. But God judge th the heart — the 
motive — and that being pure, he accepts, and 
imputes to us no sin, though our acts be imper- 
fect, and even sinful in themselves, provided, 
we improve all the means we have to gain light, 
and a knowledge of our duty. They believe 
that men, while in the body, will be liable to sin, 
and subject to temptation ; for they read that 
" Christ was tempted, yet without sin." But 
they believe that it is the privilege of all, to 
secure the blessing promised by Christ to " the 
pure in heart ; " that they may with David pray 
for a " clean heart, and a right spirit," expect- 
ing to receive it ; that they may be made per- 
fect in love — loving God with all the heart, and 
their neighbor as themselves, as God requires, 



44 



REASONS FOR 



and that they may pray with Paul, (not in unbe- 
lief, but in faith nothing wavering,) that " the 
very God of peace (would) sanctify (them) 
wholly ; and preserve (them) blameless, unto the 
coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 

Methodists believe it the privilege of all Chris- 
tians, to enjoy the blessing of holiness or perfect 
love, in this life, for the following reasons: 
1st. God is infinitely benevolent, and wills or 
desires for man the highest possible degree of 
happiness. But man can only enjoy such hap- 
piness w r hen he is holy, or freed from his enemy, 
sin, and restored to the image of God w'hich 
consists " in righteousness and true holiness." 
2d. Salvation has God for its author, Jesus 
Christ its sacrifice for sin, the Holy Ghost its 
sanctifier ; and who dare say, that a salvation, 
provided by the combined efforts of the whole 
Trinity, will still he insufficient to save from all 
sin? That the infinitely wise and holy Re- 
deemer has undertaken to save man, and has 
failed to provide for him a complete or perfect 
salvation from sin ? 3d. The word of God re- 
quires it. " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God 
with all thy heart and thy neighbor as thyself." 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 45 



" Be ye holy, for I the Lord your God amjholy." 
" Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father 
which is in Heaven is perfect." The connec- 
tion shows this to be a perfection in love, that is 
required. They do not believe that God re- 
quires more of man, than his grace will enable 
him to perform ; for he says, " it is required, 
according to what a man hath, and not accord- 
ing to what he hath not." 4th. But as much 
holiness is promised through Christ as is re- 
quired by his word. " And the Lord thy God 
shall circumcise thy heart, that thou may est love 
the Lord thy God with all thy heart" " Then 
will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye 
shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from 
all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart 
also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put 
within you : and I will take away the stony 
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a 
heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within 
you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and 
ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." 
"And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleans- 
eth us from all sin." Again, " If we confess 
our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us 



46 



REASONS FOR 



our sing, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous- 
ness" And the apostle declares that it was for 
this very purpose, viz., that he might sanctify 
his people, that the Saviour gave himself a' ran- 
som for our sins ; " as Christ also loved the 
church, and gave himself for it, that he might 
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of 
water by the word. That he might present it 
to himself, a glorious church, not having spot 
or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should 
be holy and without blemish" * 5th. For this the 
Saviour, the apostles and the prophets prayed. 
The Saviour in his last prayer on earth, prayed 
for his disciples, saying, " Sanctify them through 
thy truth, thy word is truth." Paul prayed in 
behalf of the Thessalonians, " May the very 
God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and I pray 
God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be 
preserved blameless, unto (not after) the com- 
ing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 
The apostle here prays for the blessing of entire 
sanctification in this life in the most positive 
terms, and then adds, "Faithful is he that call- 



* Isa. i. 18, 25 ; Jer. xxxiii. 8 ; Ps. lxxiii. 1 ; cxix. 136 ; 
Titus ii. 14; John iv. 16—18. 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 47 

eth you who also will do it" In his letter to 
the Ephesians, he says, " For this cause I bow 
my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and 
earth is named, that he would grant you accord- 
ing to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened 
with might by his Spirit in the inner man ; that 
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith ; that 
ye, being rooted, and grounded in love, may be 
able to comprehend with all saints, what is the 
breadth, and length, and depth, and height ; and 
to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowl- 
edge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness 
of God. Now unto him that is able to do ex- 
ceeding abundantly above all that we ask or 
think, according to the power that worketh in 
us, unto him be glory in the Church by Christ 
Jesus, throughout all ages world without end. 
Amen." In his epistle to the Hebrews he says, 
"Now the God of peace, that brought again 
from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shep- 
herd of the sheep, through the blood of the 
everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every 
good work to do his will, working in you that 
which is well-pleasing in his sight, through J esus 



48 



REASONS FOR 



Christ ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. 
Amen. 5 ' * Now who will dare say, that the 
Saviour, or that Paul did not pray in faith, 
or that their prayers were never answered? 
6th. The apostles and many of the early Chris- 
tians enjoyed it. Paul says, " The law of the 
spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free 
from the law of sin and death." " I am cruci- 
fied with Christ, nevertheless I live ; yet not I ? 
but Christ liveth in me." And again, " Ye are 
witnesses, and God also, how holihj and justly 
and unblamably we behaved ourselves among 
you that believe." f A cloud of witnesses have 
arisen up in the church who have borne witness 
to the truth of this doctrine ; both testifying with 
their lips, to the glory of God's grace, and 
showing by their godly lives, that the blood of 
Christ cleansed them from all sin. They have 
lived rejoicing in a "free and full salvation," 
and when called to die, they have departed in 
the triumphs of faith, leaving their dying testi- 
mony in favor of the truth and blessedness of 
this doctrine of holiness. " Every man that 



* Matt. vi. 10 ; Ps. li. 2, 7, 10. 

f Job i. 1 ; Luke i. 6 ; Phil. iii. 15 ; Ps. xxxyii. 37 ; Matt. v. 8. 



BECOMING- A METHODIST. 49 

hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as 
he is pure." This is the doctrine of Methodism, 
in distinction from other denominations, who 
make the seventh of Romans the standard of 
Christian attainments. In this chapter Paul is 
evidently describing the state of the convicted 
Jew, seeking in vain for justification by the 
deeds of the law, in distinction from the grace 
of the gospel. No language can be found more 
fitly and fully to describe the state of the 
unregenerate, unbelieving heart, than that used 
by the apostle in the fourteenth verse of this 
chapter, viz., " I am carnal, sold under sin." 
There is not a passage in the Bible which rep- 
resents the condition of the sinner as more 
wretched and lost than this. How unlike Paul 
the Christian, in the following chapter: " There 
is, therefore, now no condemnation to them 
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after 
the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of 
the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me 
free from the law of sin and death." He then 
gives the reason ; " For what the law could not 
do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God 
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful 
5 



50 



REASONS FOR 



flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. 
That the righteousness of the laiv might be ful- 
filled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after 
the Spirit" But it is said by the opposers of 
this doctrine, that no man lives a single moment 
without being guilty of sin. Now what more, 
we ask, can the veriest sinner do, than sin every 
moment ? But it is said, " the Bible says," 
that "no man liveth and sinneth not!" The 
Bible nowhere says this, but it does say, that 
" There is no man that sinneth not." And the 
Apostle John has repeated the same sentiment, 
saying, " if we say we have no sin we deceive 
ourselves;" and he has explained both in the 
same chapter in which the last is found, saying, 
" If we say we have not sinned, we make him a 
liar and the truth is not in us." That is, if we 
say we have no sins to be forgiven, no need of 
pardon, we deceive ourselves and make him a 
liar who has declared that " all have sinned and 
come short of the glory of God." 

Thus, while they are leaning upon this broken 
reed as an excuse for living in sin, and mourn- 
ing over their barrenness, the Methodist is ex- 
claiming with glorious hope, "If we confess our 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



51 



sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness , or 
with the same apostle, declaring in triumph, and 
to the glorj of God's grace, " The blood of 
Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us/rom all sin" 
Who can hesitate as to which of these doctrines 
he shall embrace, when he considers, either the 
authority on which they rest, or the nature of the 
doctrines themselves ? Which is best adapted to 
the wants of men ? which best accords with the 
character of the divine Author of salvation, in 
whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead 
bodily ? Would he undertake to save man, to 
make provision for his salvation, and leave the 
work imperfect, to be completed by death or 
some other agency ? No ! no ! we have a per- 
fect Saviour, a perfect atonement for sin, a per- 
fect salvation provided for the souls of men, and 
ofiFered to us in the present tense, without money 
and without price. 

But while Methodists believe it to be the 
privilege of all to enjoy that " holiness without 
which no man shall see the Lord/' they believe, 
and constantly teach, that it is all of grace, free, 
unmerited grace, through faith, in Christ Jesus. 



52 



REASONS FOR 



They believe also that it can only be retained 
by a continual exercise of the same grace, the 
grace of " faith that works by love" They con- 
tinually proclaim to all, 4(1 let him that standeth 
take heed lest he fall ! " " For the just shall 
live by faith," as well as be justified and sanc- 
tified by faith. 

They believe also, that it is possible for the 
Christian to fall from any degree of grace to 
which he may attain in this world, and so fall, 
as to be finally lost, or " be a castaway." In 
this they differ from all Calvinists, who hold the 
doctrine that " once in grace, always in grace," 
or that a person once converted, is as sure of 
heaven as the glorified saints on high. But 
Methodists believe that Christians may fall, be- 
cause they are yet in a state of probation, which 
could not be, if there was no possibility of their 
being lost. 

The Christian lives by faith, and faith is a 
voluntary exercise of mind, — that is, the act of 
believing. The power to believe is the gift of 
God, but the exercise of that power or gracious 
ability is a voluntary act of ours ; and as the 
Christian may cease to believe, so he may cease 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



53 



to live spiritually, and dying, in this state of 
unbelief and disobedience, as he is certainly 
liable to, he is as sure to be lost as any other 
unbeliever. But "no!" said a Baptist minis- 
ter, " God will never suffer a backslider to die 
in that state." Now if this is true, all a back- 
slider has to do in order to live for ever, is to 
take care not to be reclaimed. An army of 
such would conquer the world, for povfder and 
lead could not touch them. 

But the Bible expressly says there is danger, 
and in every part its warning voice is raised, 
admonishing us to beware lest we fall. The 
Scriptures tell us of the angels " who kept not 
their first estate," but fell from their high and 
holy position ; of Adam and Eve, who fell in 
Paradise ; and the apostles point us to the case 
of the rebellious Jews, who fell in the wilderness, 
saying, " moreover, brethren, I would not that 
ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers 
were under the cloud, and all passed through 
the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the 
cloud, and in the sea ; and did all eat the same 
spiritual meat ; and did all drink the same spir- 
itual drink ; for they drank of that spiritual 



54 



REASONS FOR 



rock that followed theni: and that Hock was 
Christ. But with many of them God was not 
well pleased ; for they were overthrown in the 
wilderness. Now these things were our exam- 
ples, to the intent we should not lust after evil 
things, as they also lusted. Now all these 
things happened unto them for ensamples (or 
types :) and they are written for our admonition, 
upon whom the ends of the world are come. 
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth 
take heed lest he fall" He that never stood, 
could never be in danger of falling. The Evan- 
gelists tell us of Judas, one of the twelve, " who 
by transgression fell from his apostleship, and 
went and hanged himself." Ezekiel says, " When 
a righteous man turneth away from his right- 
eousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in 
them, for his iniquity that he hath done shall he 
die. All his righteousness that he hath done 
shall not be mentioned : in his trespass that he 
hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath 
sinned, in them shall he die." And this is not, 
as has been said, a righteousness by the law, 
and not of Grace ; for it is added, " Again, 
when the wicked man turneth away from his 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



55 



wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth 
that which is lawful and right, he shall save his 
soul alive" Now the law never pardons, but 
here is pardon promised, therefore it is of grace, 
and not a righteousness by the law. The Sav- 
iour says, "If a man abide not in me, he is 
cast forth as a branch, and is withered ; and 
men gather them, and cast them into the fire and 
they are burned." Paul writing to Timothy 
speaks of some who, " concerning faith have 
made shipwreck :" of others, as "having dam- 
nation, because they have cast off their first 
faith" And to the Hebrews he says, " For it 
is impossible for those who were once enlight- 
ened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and 
were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and 
have tasted the good Word of God, and the 
powers of the world to come, if they shall fall 
away (or falling away as the original has it) to 
renew them again to repentance, seeing they 
crucify the Son of God afresh, and put him to 
an open shame." The persons here spoken of 
are evidently those who have been converted, 
and made partakers of the high privileges of the 
gospel, and have apostatized from Christianity, 



56 



REASONS FOR 



of whom there is no hope seeing they reject the 
only Saviour. Again, " If we sin wilfully after 
that we have received the knowledge of the 
truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for 
sin," &c. And again, "The just shall live by 
faith ; but if any man draw back, my soul shall 
have no pleasure in him." And the apostle 
says of himself, " But I keep under my body, 
and bring it into subjection; lest that by any 
means, when I have preached to others, I my- 
self should be a castaway." Peter also says, 
" Brethren, give diligence to make your calling 
and election sure, for if ye do these things, (see 
the context preceding) ye shall never fall." 
Here are those called and elected, yet their 
calling and election can only be made finally 
sure, by their continuing in faithful obedience. 
To say there is no real danger of a Christian's 
falling, in view of these Scriptures, is to charge 
God with endeavoring to frighten his children 
when there is no danger or harm to be feared. 
Who, in the face of these facts and Scriptures, 
dare say that no person once a Christian, will 
ever be lost ? Is it not a pity, that when men 
are so prone to backsliding, that they should be 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 57 



encouraged in it, by being told there is no dan- 
ger, " once in, always in." And, as I heard a 
Baptist minister say, in preaching on this sub- 
ject, that " He believed that Christians in a 
backslidden state, often glorified God as much, 
as when heartily engaged in religion, for at such 
times they showed their decision and principle." 
And why not, if they are only carrying out God's 
will or decree ? What is this but encouraging 
men to backslide ? But, it is replied, no man 
can know, for a certainty, whether he is " in," 
or a Christian, and therefore if he backslides it 
is an evidence that he has been deceived. But 
this is a positive denial of the Scriptural doc- 
trine of the " witness of the Spirit." To such 
miserable shifts does Calvinism drive its advo- 
cates. How unlike the simplicity of the gospel, 
which is so plain " that he may run that readeth 
it," " and the wayfaring men, though fools, shall 
not err therein." 

Nothing is more evident to us, than that the 
direct tendency of the whole system of Calvin- 
ism, of which this is a part, is, to confuse and 
bewilder the mind of the serious inquirer after 
truth; that it greatly weakens, and tends to 



58 



REASONS FOR 



destroy all sense of personal responsibility in 
the minds of both saint and sinner. The sinner 
very naturally reasons, " If I am to be saved, 
or to have an effectual call, I shall be brought 
in, as all who have it are, and if not, then it is 
of no use to try ; for none without it ever were 
or ever will be saved, and as this grace is wholly 
unconditional, or given to whom He will, I may 
as well w r ait till it comes, if indeed it is to come 
at all. The Christian stands on the same ground, 
believing there is no danger — " once in, always 
in." It greatly hinders the zeal and faithful- 
ness of Christians ; and tends directly to the 
doctrine of fatality, and consequently to Univer- 
salism, and open infidelity. This statement is 
not only confirmed by the history of a multitude 
of individuals, who have been driven by the 
ultra opinions of Calvinism, into Unitarianism, 
Universalism, and in many instances to open 
infidelity ; but the religious history of New 
England is a demonstration of the truth of our 
position. For where have the ultra views of 
Calvinism so generally prevailed, as in New 
England ? And nowhere has Universalism and 
its kindred errors made such progress as here. 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



59 



We have no doubt but they would have contin- 
ued to have spread, until they would have cov- 
ered the whole country occupied by the descend- 
ants of the " pilgrim fathers," but for the timely 
introduction of a purer doctrine — the leaven of 
truth and consistency , which is not only found 
among Methodists, but has been infused by them 
more or less into all the different evangelical 
churches of New England. It has accomplished 
a moral revolution, no less real, because it has 
not always been realized, and scarcely ever 
acknowledged, by those who have been thus 
signally benefited. Who does not know that 
the preaching of even Calvinist churches, how- 
ever Calvinistic their creed, is entirely different 
from what it was thirty or fifty years ago ? We 
write not these things in malice or unkindness ; 
far from it. Great good has been accomplished 
by Calvinist churches, and they are doing a 
great work at the present day, in spreading the 
gospel through the world. Among them are a 
host of noble, talented men, who are laboring 
sincerely, and in many cases successfully for the 
conversion of the world to Christ. And we 
cheerfully bid them a hearty God speed, one 



60 



REASONS FOR 



and all ; we have none of that spirit that would 
forbid any man or class of men from casting out 
devils, because he followeth not us. But as 
Methodists, we believe, that the good they ac- 
complish is the fruit of the great and funda- 
mental truths of the gospel which they hold, 
and advocate, with a most commendable zeal; 
and rather in spite of their Calvinism, than by 
means of it. And the fact, that, in all cases of 
revival among them, (so far as our knowledge 
extends) the peculiar doctrines of Calvinism are 
entirely laid aside for the time being, and a 
purer, and simpler doctrine is preached, not un- 
like that taught by Methodists, is a strong evi- 
dence of the correctness of the opinion. 

It may be proper to introduce here a brief 
statement of the doctrine of election, as held 
by the Methodist Church. It is often said that 
Methodists do not believe in election ; but it is 
a mistake. They believe in what they consider, 
Bible election, but not in Calvinistic election. 
They believe that God has foreordained and 
decreed, not " whatsoever comes to pass," but 
certain things, such as — that he would make 
man a moral agent, and in all things, treat him 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 61 



as such ; that he would provide a full and free 
salvation for all men, and offer it to all, without 
partiality : that he that believed and obeyed the 
gospel, should be saved, and he that believed 
not should be damned. 

There are three kinds of election spoken of 
in the Bible, viz., persons elected or chosen 
to perform some particular work, or fill some 
particular office, as Cyrus was God's elect or 
God's chosen, to rebuild the temple ; Paul was 
elected to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. A 
second kind of election spoken of, is the elec- 
tion of nations or classes of men to certain priv- 
ileges, as the Jews or the posterity of Jacob, 
were elected in preference to the posterity of 
Esau, to enjoy the peculiar privileges conferred 
on that people, such as receiving the Law, pre- 
serving the knowledge of the true God, and his 
word, and, " of whom as concerning the flesh, 
Christ came, who is God over all." This is a 
collective election, and does not necessarily af- 
fect the final salvation of the soul ; for we are 
taught that many of these elect Jews perished 
on account of their sins. (See 1 Cor., chap, x.) 
Another instance of this land of election, is the 



62 



REASONS FOR 



calling or election of the Gentiles, in the time 
of Christ and his apostles, to the enjoyment of 
equal privileges with the Jews under the gospel. 
Of this election, the apostle treats in his letter 
to the Romans, and to the Ephesians, as one 
may plainly see, by reading them, with this fact 
before the mind ; and it will afford a ready and 
satisfactory explanation to all those passages 
which have been considered the stronghold of 
Calvinism. Paul in his letter to Rome is writ- 
ing to Jews who were greatly displeased with 
the idea, that the Gentiles were to be put on an 
equality with them through the gospel, and 
especially that they were to be " broken off," 
and the Gentiles grafted in. Paul labors to 
show them that they were broken oif or rejected 
because of their unbelief, and, that the election 
of the Gentiles was not only reasonable and 
right, but that it was according to the foreordi- 
nation and purpose of God and in perfect 
keeping with God's dealings with the Jetvs, in 
calling or electing them in preference to the 
descendants of Esau. He treats not of indi- 
viduals, but of nations. In the reference to 
Jacob and Esau, you will see, by noticing the 



BECOMING- A METHODIST. 



63 



context and the passage in Malachi from which 
the apostle quotes, that he is speaking of their 
posterity. He says, " It was said unto her the 
elder shall serve the younger." Now it is not 
true that Esau ever did serve Jacob in person : 
but the posterity of Esau did serve the posterity 
of Jacob. In Malachi it is said, "And I hated 
Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage 
waste for the dragons of the wilderness." This 
was not spoken or fulfilled concerning the heri- 
tage of Esau personally, but concerning his pos- 
terity, the Edomites. " Let it be remembered, 
1. That there is not a word spoken here con- 
cerning the eternal state of either Jacob or 
Esau. 2. That w T hat is spoken concerns merely 
their earthly possessions. And, 3. That it does 
not concern the two brothers at all, but the pos- 
terity of each." (See Dr. A. Clarke's comments 
on these passages and the subject generally.) 
Another, and the only kind of personal election 
to eternal life, found in the Bible, is the election 
through grace of all that believe and obey the 
gospel. Or as Peter has it, " elect according 
to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through 
sanctification of the spirit, unto obedience, and 



64 



BEASOXS FOR 



sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." Mr. 
Wesley says, " Strictly speaking, there is no 
foreknowledge^ no more than afterhioivledge, 
with God ; but all things are known to him as 
present, from eternity to eternity. Election, in 
the Scriptural sense, is God's doing any thing 
that our merit or power has no part in. The 
true predestination or fore appointment of God, 
is, 1. He that belie veth shall be saved from the 
guilt and power of sin. 2. He that endureth 
to the end shall be saved eternally. 3. They 
who receive the precious gift of faith thereby 
become the sons of God ; and, being sons, they 
shall receive the spirit of holiness, to walk as 
Christ also walked. Throughout every part of 
this appointment of God, promise and duty go 
hand in hand. All is free gift ; and yet, such 
is the gift, that it depends in the final issue on 
our future obedience to the heavenly call. But 
other predestination than this, either to life or 
death eternal, the Scripture knows not of: more- 
over, 1. It is a cruel respect of persons; an un- 
just regard of one, and an unjust disregard of 
another : it is mere creature partiality, and not 
infinite justice. 2, It is not plain Scripture 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



65 



doctrine, (if true,) but rather inconsistent with 
the express written word that speaks of God's 
universal offers of grace \ his invitations, prom- 
ises, threatenings, being all general. 3. We 
are bid to choose life, and reprehended for not 
doing it. 4. It is inconsistent with a state of 
probation, in those that must be saved, or must 
be lost. 5. It is of fatal consequence." 

6 



66 



REASONS FOR 



CHAPTER III. 

THE SACRAMENTS. 

We shall next notice the sentiments of the 
Methodist Church in reference to the Sacra- 
ments ; Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. 

On the subject of baptism, Methodists are 
Pedo-Baptists. And although they do not make 
these views of the proper subjects, or mode of 
baptism, a test of communion or church mem- 
bership, yet as a church they believe, that bap- 
tism is both a sign and seal ; an external and 
visible sign of an internal and invisible work 
of grace, accomplished in the heart by the 
Spirit, purifying the soul. It is a sign of the 
righteousness we have through the covenant of 
grace? It is also a sign and seal of that cove- 
nant between God and our souls ; a solemn 
and public acknowledgment on our part of this 
covenant relation, and consequently of its obli- 
gations. It is a public profession of our faith 
in Christ the only Saviour. 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



67 



That believers and their infant children are 
the proper subjects of baptism, they think is 
evident from the following considerations : 

1. Baptism was manifestly considered by 
Christ and the apostles as succeeding the rite of 
circumcision, as the Lord's Supper is admitted 
to have succeeded that of the Passover. As the 
former rite was to be administered to believers 
and their children, so it would be expected that 
the one succeeding it would be extended to 
them, unless prohibited, and no such prohibition 
is to be found. If the infant children of believ- 
ers were then entitled to the covenant benefits 
of circumcision, so they are now entitled to the 
covenant benefits of baptism. Here let it be 
remembered, that the covenant of which circum- 
cision was the seal, is in all essential points the 
same as that of which baptism is the seal. It is 
not, therefore, as some say, a rite of the old 
covenant, and consequently no longer in, use ; 
it is the rite or seal, of the Abrahamic covenant, 
of faith. Abraham received the sign of circum- 
cision as " a seal of the righteousness he then 
had, which was a righteousness of faith." "Abra- 
ham believed God, and it w T as accounted to him 



68 REASONS FOR 

for righteousness." The church is therefore 
essentially the same now as then ; only its prin- 
ciples have been more fully developed, perfected, 
and brought to light through the gospel, and in 
all things adapted to the present stage of the 
church under the folness of the gospel dispen- 
sation. Consequently either one of the promi- 
nent rites of the church has been entirely lost, 
or the more reasonable conclusion follows, viz., 
that baptism takes the place of circumcision. 
Therefore as the original rite was extended to 
to the child, so (unless prohibited, which is 
not even pretended) should the substitute be. 
These words of Paul in his letter to the Collos- 
sians settle the relation between baptism and 
circumcision; "In whom also ye are circum- 
cised with the circumcision made without hands, 
in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, 
by the circumcision of Christ ; buried with him 
in baptism." Does any one teach you to be 
circumcised ? This is our circumcision even bap- 
tism. This was the sentiment of the primitive 
church. Justin Martyr, who lived forty years 
after the apostles, says : " We, who by him 
(Christ) have had access to God, have not 



BECOMING- A METHODIST. 69 



received this carnal circumcision, but spiritual, 
and we have received it by baptism." Again 
he says, " we are circumcised by baptism, with 
Christ's circumcision ." 

2. Children are declared by Christ to be 
members of his kingdom. " Suffer the little 
children to come unto me and forbid them not ; 
for of such is the kingdom of heaven." If they 
are included in the covenant of grace as nearly 
all at the present day profess to believe, why 
deny them the rite and seal of that covenant ? 

3. The Saviour commanded his disciples to 
" go and teach (make proselytes of) all nations, 
baptizing them," &c. Now these disciples were 
familiar with the manner of making proselytes 
to the Jewish religion, and they would naturally 
understand that they were to go forth and make 
proselytes to Christ's religion, in the same way, 
as they were directed to use the same ceremony, 
unless told to the contrary, of which there is no 
intimation ; and the J ews' custom was to receive 
parents and their children by baptism as prose- 
lytes. They would naturally, therefore, pursue 
the same course with those who became prose- 
lytes to the Christian religion. 



70 



REASONS FOR 



4. It is said in the Scriptures that the apostles 
baptized the households of them that believed. 
The case of Lydia and the jailer, are instances. 
These facts are recorded in a way which would 
naturally lead the reader to believe that children 
were baptized. This, though not absolutely 
certain, is yet highly probable, as families are 
generally made up in part, of children. Peter's 
language on the day of Pentecost, has the same 
tendency. Addressing himself to the Jews who 
had always considered their children as included 
in the covenant privileges, he says, " For the 
promise is to you, and your children" &c. 
YV 7 ho can believe that the Jews would have given 
up, without the least controversy or objection, a 
privilege and ordinance for which they had ever 
had the most sacred and affectionate regard ? 
Yet no controversy existed between the believ- 
ing Jews and the primitive church on this sub- 
ject. I see a company of Jewish parents, who 
have embraced Christianity, and in accordance 
with their custom and duty in all past ages of 
the church, they come to present their children 
before God, but. the disciples, for some cause, 
object. They appeal to the Master. Now an 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 71 



important question is to be settled, one of infi- 
nite interest to every Jew, viz., whether their 
children are to be recognized, in the initiatory 
ordinance of the Christian church, or not ? The 
Saviour replies, " suffer little children to come 
unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the 
kingdom of Heaven." The question is settled, 
and the Jew is satisfied, their children are 
recognized. No controversy existed on the 
subject for eleven hundred years. 

5. That the whole primitive church practiced 
infant baptism, is evident from the following 
quotations from the early fathers. Justin Mar- 
tyr, who lived forty years after the apostles, 
speaking of members of the church, says, " a 
part of these were sixty or seventy years of 
age, who were made disciples of Christ, from 
their infancy" Consequently they must have 
been so made (that is baptized) in the time of 
the apostles. Thus the practice of infant bap- 
tism in the age of the apostles, is proved by 
one of the earliest and most credible Christian 
writers. Ireneus, who was a disciple of Poly- 
carp, who was himself a disciple of St. John, 
says, " Christ came to save all persons, who by 



72 



REASONS FOR 



him are baptized under God ; infants and little 
ones, children, youth and elder persons." Ori- 
gen, who was born in the second century, says, 
" The church hath received the tradition from the 
apostles, that baptism ought to be administered 
to infants." Tertullian also bears his testimony 
to the practice of infant baptism. Cyprian, who 
was also born in the second century, says that 
" sixty-six bishops being convened at Carthage, 
having the question referred to them, whether 
infants might be baptized before they were 
eight days old, decided unanimously, that no 
infant is to be prohibited the benefit of baptism." 
Gregory Nazianzen, of the fourth century, says, 
" The whole church practices infant baptism; it 
was not instituted by counsels, but was always 
in use." Pellagias declared that he had "never 
heard even an impious heretic, who asserted 
that infants are not to be baptized." Ambrose, 
and Augustine, the great luminaries of the age, 
bear their positive testimony to the practice of 
infant baptism from the first. Augustine says, 
" It came not by any council, or by any author- 
ity later , or less than that of the apostles." 
The antiquity of infant baptism, as proved by 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 73 

these quotations from the early fathers, furnishes 
evidence of its divine authority that cannot be 
successfully controverted. If the infant chil- 
dren of believers were not baptized in the days 
of the apostles, when did the practice commence ? 
If introduced after the apostolic age, it must 
have been a great innovation. But no mention 
is made by any writer of its introduction, nor 
of any controversy, which must necessarily have 
grown out of such an innovation ; nor does it 
appear that any one ever questioned its propri- 
ety or validity, until the twelfth century, when 
it was started by Peter Bruis, a Frenchman, 
whose followers were called Peter Brusians. 
And then in the fifteenth century, by the Ana- 
Baptists, in Germany. Only about two hundred 
years after Christ we see sixty-six pastors con- 
vened in a council, having the subject of infant 
baptism distinctly before them, and not one even 
intimates that he has a doubt of the validity of 
the practice, but, on the contrary, they unani- 
mously resolve, that no infant, however young, 
shall be prohibited from this rite. Certainly, if 
the apostles and their converts were all Baptists, 
7 



74 



REASONS FOR 



as we are told, they had lost ground strangely 
to have become extinct in so short a time, and 
they must have been a different kind of Baptists 
from those of the present day, to have given up, 
without controversy. But we cannot believe 
this to have been the case, but must believe with 
Origen, that the church received this practice 
from the apostles. 

6. We close the argument, by presenting the 
statements of two individuals, whose testimony 
ought to have an influence with every Christian. 
" Mr. Wolff, the celebrated converted Jew and 
missionary among that people, informs us, that 
in his wanderings in the interior of Asia, he 
found, in a retired spot, a small village of Chris- 
tians surrounded by Mohammedans. They have 
remained there from time immemorial, undis- 
turbed amid the changes which have been going 
on around them in the distant parts of the earth. 
Mr. Wolff, among other questions which he put 
to them, asked them if they baptized their chil- 
dren; they answered, "yes, always." "How 
do you do it?" " We take them to the water, 
hold them over it, and sprinkle water upon them 
in the name of the Father and the Son and the 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



75 



Holy Ghost." And they aver this to have been 
their practice from the time of J ohn the Baptist. 
The other witness is the Nestorian Bishop Mar 
Yohanan, who came to this country in company 
with Mr. Perkins from the interior of Asia. 
The church over which he was set had preserved 
their primitive simplicity, and the form of church 
government which had universally prevailed in 
the times immediately following the days of the 
apostles ; they had no connection with the Ro- 
man or Greek churches. In a conversation with 
some gentlemen in New York, Mar Yohanan 
was asked, " Do you baptize infants ? " " Yes, 
always, every child is baptized." " How do 
you baptize adults ?" " We have none to bap- 
tize ; every child as soon as possible is baptized." 
No modern Baptist can say that w T ith them this 
practice is of Popish origin, inasmuch as they 
have had no connection w T ith that hierarchy. 
When asked, " how do you regard the Roman 
and Greek churches?" Mar Yohanan replied, 
" We love them not, no good, we from the apos- 
tles ; we pray not to the Virgin Mary ; we have 
no relics, no images ; in our churches, one sim- 
ple wooden cross, that's all." These recently 



76 



REASONS FOR 



developed facts, are strong evidences of both the 
antiquity and validity of infant baptism. 

7. But we are asked, and it is a very common 
objection, " What good will it do infants to bap- 
tize them ? " Abraham might have inquired of 
Jehovah, by way of objection, " what good will 
it do to circumcise my children?" with equal if 
not greater propriety. What do you think 
would have been the result ? But his faith was 
so strong in the Lord that he did not stop to 
question the utility of obedience for a moment. 
We would suggest to such inquirers, the propri- 
ety of imitating the faith of Abraham. But we 
might ask in return, what good does it do any one 
to be baptized ? Does the mere act of applying 
water to the person, though they be entirely 
covered with it, do them any good ? But it is 
our duty ! Very well, so we believe this to be. 
Thus this objection is equally valid in one case 
as in the other. But you say you do not be- 
lieve it is a duty to baptize infants ; and so the 
Friend Quaker says of all baptisms by water. 

But it does the parents good. They feel that 
" the vows of God are upon them." They will 
feel more sensibly their obligation to train up 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 77 



their children for God, having consecrated them 
to him, in this public and solemn manner. It 
will do the child good, if the parents are faith- 
ful in admonishing and instructing him in re- 
gard to it. It will hold a restraining influence 
over him in after life ; he will not forget it ; it 
will give interest and weight to the obligation 
urged upon him to early dedicate himself to 
God. Says Matthew Henry, the learned and 
pious commentator upon the bible, " I cannot 
but take occasion to express my gratitude to 
God, for my infant baptism ; not only as it was 
an early admission into the visible body of 
Christ, but as it furnished my parents with a 
good argument, and I trust through grace a 
prevailing argument, for an early dedication of 
myself to God. If God has wrought any good 
work upon my soul, I desire with humble thank- 
fulness to acknowledge the influence of my in- 
fant baptism upon it." 

8. But it is said, " If we have our children 
baptized, they may be dissatisfied with it when 
they come to years of understanding." This 
would never be the case, we confidently believe, 
if parents would do their duty. If they would 



78 



REASONS FOR 



take half the pains to Instruct their children in 
the nature and validity of their baptism, that 
Baptists do to make them dissatisfied with it, 
there would be few if any who would be in the 
least dissatisfied with their baptism. The trouble 
is, we leave the mind w T holly uninformed on this 
subject, and the Baptists are diligent in storing 
it with their objections and peculiar sentiments. 
Let us but do our duty, and God will take care 
of the result. " But the Bible says, believe and 
be baptized." So the Bible says, "he that be- 
lie veth not, shall be damned." Now if the 
former excludes infants from baptism, the latter 
excludes them from heaven. But Baptists are 
shocked at the thought of this, and some even 
deny (what every one may know to be true,) 
that they ever believed in the damnation of a 
portion of those dying in infancy. Though few 
if any at the present day believe this, Metho- 
dism has made them ashamed of it, in teaching 
a better way. 

But it is objected finally, " There is no posi- 
tive precept, or Bible for infant baptism." No 
more is there for female communion, or the ob- 
servance of the first day of the week for the 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 79 

Sabbath, and it is contended that the latter rests 
on precisely the same kind of testimony, as the 
practice of infant baptism, viz., an original in- 
stitution, the practice of the apostles, as infer- 
red from the Scriptures, and the sanction of the 
whole primitive church. Hence it appears that 
the only consistent Baptists are those who reject 
the first day Sabbath, and keep the seventh, 
called seventh day Baptists. 

But, as we remarked at the commencement 
of this subject, though as a body, Methodists 
believe in infant baptism, yet as they do not 
purpose to exclude any true Christians from the 
church, and considering the present excited state 
of this controversy on the side of the opposers 
of infant baptism, it is to be expected that many 
will be undecided in regard to their duty, while 
others will be strongly prejudiced against infant 
baptism, they do not require their members to 
practice infant baptism. They place the subject 
in what they regard, as the true light before 
them, and leave them to act according to their 
convictions of duty, to answer their own con- 
sciences before God, as in other matters not 
essential to salvation. 



80 



REASONS FOR 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE MODE OE BAPTISM. 

As Methodists believe that baptism is an out- 
ward visible sign, of an inward and invisible 
work of grace, as well as a covenant seal of our 
consecration to God, so they believe that the 
application of water (without regard to quan- 
tity) to a proper candidate, by a proper admin- 
istrator, in the name of the Trinity, is valid 
baptism. They give therefore to every person 
desiring the ordinance at their hands, the choice 
as to the mode. If immersion is desired, they 
immerse ; if sprinkling is preferred, or pouring, 
they regard it equally valid and no less accept- 
able to God. 

It is not, therefore, necessary for Methodists 
or any Pedo-Baptist to disprove the practice or 
validity of immersion, nor have they any desire 
to do it, but simply to disprove exclusive im- 
mersion, or the sentiment of the Baptists that 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 81 



immersion is the only mode of baptism. The 
labor therefore is all on their side : and it only 
remains for us to refute their arguments. 

They confidently assert that the literal and 
only meaning of the word baptize, is to immerse ; 
and that the translators of the Scriptures are 
verily guilty for not having so translated the 
original " baptizo," to which, they say, they 
only gave an English ending, to please the king, 
or somebody else. Hence their Baptist Bible 
was prepared, a few years since, to finish what 
the translators left imperfect ; but it proved a 
splendid failure. What are the facts in refer- 
ence to the translation of this word ? Simply 
these ; the translators found in the Scriptures a 
number of words in the original, each one of 
which were used in a variety of different senses ; 
and also others, the meaning of which could 
not be expressed by any one English word. 
This, every Greek scholar knows to be the case 
in that language. Among these words was 
"baptizo;" which, though it might admit of 
the term immersion in English, in many instan- 
ces, yet in others it was altogether improper, 
and inconsistent both with the Scriptures and 



82 



REASONS FOR 



matter of fact. Take the following as examples. 
" I indeed (immerse) you "with water, &c, 
but there cometh one, who shall (immerse) 
you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." What 
an idea! Again, notice the Saviour's promise. 
" For John indeed (immersed) with water, but 
ye shall be (immersed) with the Holy Ghost 
not many days hence." Now, besides this being 
monstrously absurd in itself, it does not agree 
with the manner of the fulfilmeat of the promise, 
for it is said, " And they were all filled with 
the Holy Ghost," not immersed with it. The 
apostle speaking of the children of Israel, says, 
" they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud 
and in the sea." To say they were immersed 
unto Moses would be to testify falsely, as the 
Bible says they went through " dry shod. 79 
But says the Baptist, " They were surrounded 
with water, and were therefore immersed." 
But he should remember that the Holy Ghost 
saith that the "pillar of cloud" was behind 
them at this time to screen them from their 
enemies, and as there was no water above, be- 
neath, or before them, and the Scriptures assert 
that they went through " dry shod," they could 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 83 



not in any proper sense be said to be immersed. 
It is very easy to prove that the Egyptians 
were immersed, but not the children of Israel. 
These were some of the many difficulties which 
presented themselves to the minds of the trans- 
lators, in regard to this and other w T ords of the 
same character. Hence they agreed to leave all 
such words untranslated, merely giving them an 
English form ; and who does not see the wisdom 
of such a course ? It is much easier to find 
fault with a piece of work, than it is to improve 
it. So w T e conclude our Baptist brethren found 
it, as they seem themselves little pleased with 
their new Baptist Bible. It may do to give 
such to the poor heathen who have seen no other, 
but it will never succeed among enlightened, 
Christian people. That the word baptizo means 
to immerse, we admit, but that it never means 
any thing else w T e deny. We read in one of 
the classical writers, of " baptizing the sea w r ith 
the blood of a mouse." Now we do not think 
that even the Baptists' faith would be strong 
enough here, to enable him to believe that the 
sea was immersed in the blood of the mouse. 
The meaning is plain, the sea was sprinkled 



84 



REASONS FOR 



with the blood, but the Greek writer uses the 
term baptizo. Numerous are the instances 
where the word is used by the best Greek 
writers with the above meaning, and also to 
pour, to wash, to purify, cleanse, &c. Greek 
lexicons give to this word the following mean- 
ings, " to dip, immerse, to wash, cleanse, purify, 
sprinkle," &c. Bapto, from which it is derived, 
has the following meanings: " to dip, plunge, 
immerse, wash, to wet, moisten, sprinkle, to 
steep, imbue, to dye, stain, color." 

It is very common for words to so change 
their signification, as to come to signify that for 
which the thing originally signified was used. 
Thus bapto originally signified to dip, but as 
things were generally dyed by dipping, it came 
in process of time to signify to dye, to stain, &c. 
So with the word baptizo, its derivative ; as 
things were dipped, plunged, washed, &c, to 
cleanse, or to purify, it was used in this sense as 
we have seen. The ground we advocate, is, 
that baptizo, when used in a ritual sense in the 
New Testament, signifies to purify or cleanse, 
without any reference to the mode of purifica^ 
tion, save it be by water, as an emblem. 



BECOMING- A METHODIST. 



85 



We believe this for the following reasons: 
1. Nothing less than this would have been suf- 
ficiently definite and significant. The title or 
command should give some definite idea, as to 
the nature or design of the rite enjoined. But 
suppose the Saviour to have commanded his 
disciples to go teach, and immerse, that is, place 
the disciples under water, what signification 
would the command have had ? What clue to 
the thing signified would have been given by 
this ? Persons are put into the water for various 
purposes. But suppose we understand the Sav- 
iour as saying " Go teach, (make disciples) of 
all nations, purifying them," &c. This would 
make the design evident ; baptizo, the title, would 
then signify the grand object of the rite, the 
intention of the ceremonial use of water, namely, 
to represent the purification of the heart by the 
Holy Ghost. 

2. The Jews expected that the Messiah would 
purify, when he came, for this had been foretold 
of him, but nowhere was it said he should im- 
merse. Malachi said, "He shall purify the 
sons of Levi," &c. John reiterates it, saying, 
" He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and 



86 



REASONS FOR 



with fire," using the term baptize in the sense 
of to purify. The inquiry of the Jews, " Why 
baptizes! thou, if thou art not the Christ?" 
shows that they used it in this sense. It had 
been foretold of the Messiah that he should 
purify ; they understood all this literally ; and 
when a great purifier appears, as John the Bap- 
tist, they at once go out to see him ; and he says 
"I am not the Christ." They inquire at once, 
u Why baptizest (purifiest) thou then, if thou 
art not the Christ ? " 

3. The contrast made by John between his 
baptism and that of Christ, sustains and illus- 
trates this view of baptizo. He says, " I in- 
deed baptize you with water, but he shall bap- 
tize you with the Holy Ghost and fire." Now 
whatever baptize means in one sentence, it 
means in the other. Hence if we say it means 
immerse, then we read, I indeed immerse you 
with water, but he shall immerse or dip you 
with the Holy Ghost and fire. How unmeaning! 
How much more natural and intelligent to read, 
I indeed purify or cleanse you with water, 
but he shall purify you with the Holy Ghost 
and fire. 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 87 



4. The analogy between water, and spiritual 
baptism, is another proof of this view. We 
have seen that John represents them as closely 
connected. The Scriptures speak of the Spirit's 
" purifying us," " cleansing our hearts," of 
its being "poured upon us," our hearts are 
said to be " filled" with it, " sprinkled from 
an evil conscience," &c, but never, of immers- 
ing us in the Spirit, or dipping us in the Holy 
Ghost and fire. Yet this must be the reading 
of many passages if baptizo invariably means 
to immerse or dip. 

5. The Scriptures also sustain this significa- 
tion : Mark vii. 4 ; " And when they came from 
the market, except they baptizontai (in English, 
wash or purify,) they eat not." Luke xi. 38 ; 
" And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled 
that he had not ebaptisthe (in English, washed 
or been purified) before dinner." Their man- 
ner of washing was for the servant to pour 
water on their hands. They also baptizontai, 
purified or washed their tables, beds, or couches, 
&c. That they did not immerse themselves 
before every meal is evident. Still more so 
that they did not immerse their tables, couches, 



88 



REASONS FOB 



&c, but they purified them with water. The 
Saviour's reply to the Pharisee shows that he 
understood the term in the sense of purify. 
The Pharisee marvelled that he had not ebap- 
tisthe before dinner. The Saviour replied, 
" Now do ye Pharisees katharizete, make clean, 
or purify the outside," &c, interpreting bap- 
tizo, with katharizo, which invariably means to 
purify. John iii. 25, 26 ; " Then there arose 
a question between some of John's disciples 
and the Jews about (katharismon,) purify- 
ing. And they came to John and said, Rabbi, 
he that was with us beyond Jordan, to whom 
thou bearest witness, the same baptizeth, and all 
men come to him." Here is the clearest possi- 
ble evidence that baptizo is used in the New 
Testament, in the sense of katharizo, to purify. 
A question arose about purifying, and to settle 
it, they come to John and present the question, 
but use the term baptizo, or baptizeth. This 
shows that they used the two words, baptizo and 
katharizo in the same sense, that is, to purify. 
With this signification the command to baptize, in * 
all its varied connections, will be found plain and 
intelligible, while with the sense of immerse, it 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 89 

is not only unmeaning but often contradictory, 
But it is said the apostles immersed, and their 
example is sufficient. This may have been the 
case, but there is no positive proof of it. There 
is not an instance mentioned in the Bible, but 
which admits of a reasonable explanation with- 
out involving the practice of immersion. Philip 
and the Eunuch went down into the water, but 
that does not prove that Philip immersed him. 
Besides, there are many difficulties in the way of 
such interpretation ; such as changing raiment 
under those circumstances, by a man on a jour- 
ney, and receiving the ordinance by the side of 
the highway ; besides, no intimation is given of 
such preparation. The scarcity of water in 
that country sufficient to immerse, presents 
another obstacle. The Saviour went into the 
mountain, but we do not suppose he went under 
the mountain. It is a well known fact that the 
prepositions into and out of, may, and often do 
signify merely to and from, and might have 
been so translated with perfect propriety. But 
if it be admitted that the apostles did baptize 
by immersion, in this and many other instances 
where it is contended for, yet it proves nothing 
8 



90 



REASONS FOR 



for exclusive immersion. There are many other 
instances recorded, where it is at least as evident 
that they were not immersed : the day of Pen- 
tecost when three thousand were baptized, the 
jailer and his hous9, baptized by a prisoner at 
the dead of night, and even the case of John, 
of whom it is said, " And there went out to him 
all Jerusalem and all J udea, and all the region 
round about Jordan, and were baptized of him." 
Can any one suppose that he immersed this mul- 
titude during his short ministry ? Some writers 
suppose as many as two million were baptized by 
him; and some Baptist writers have supposed 
that as many as five hundred thousand were 
immersed. Now his ministry continued one 
year and a half. Allowing one minute for each 
person, to baptize that number he must have 
stood in the water sixteen hours per day for the 
entire time of his ministry ! But it is said, 
"John did no miracle" Certainly then he 
could not have done this, or baptized this num- 
ber by immersion. 

The children of Israel though not aaptized 
by the apostles, yet Paul the apostle says they 
were baptized ; and yet, as we have seen, they 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



91 



could not as a matter of fact have been 
immersed, neither in the "sea" nor in the 
"cloud." Nothing therefore can be deter- 
mined by the example of the apostles in this 
matter. But it is said the early Christian 
church practiced immersion. They also bap- 
tized the candidate in a state of nudity, but 
they did not even pretend that immersion was 
essential to the validity of the ordinance, but 
merely as preferable to other modes which they 
regarded as valid. 

But there is no positive proof of the practice 
of sprinkling in the Bible, says the Baptist. 
Where is your thus saith the Lord ? Can you 
put your finger on the passage that proves it ? 
they confidently exclaim. To all this we reply, 
where is your thus saith the Lord, for immer- 
sion ? Can you put your finger on the passage 
that proves it. No ! For it is not in the Bible, 
not even the word immerse. But baptizo means 
to immerse and nothing else. That is not only 
denied, but we have already proved it false by 
the Bible itself. Well, says the Baptist, it is 
plain enough ! But that is only your inference, 
not a positive precept. Others think it is plain 



92 



REASONS FOR 



enough that sprinkling is baptism, and that it 
was practiced in the apostles' times. 

There is another argument much used by 
Baptists, and one by means of which they have 
induced more young converts to be immersed 
than by all others, viz., " Christ was immersed, 
and we ought to follow his example, for he was 
baptized as an example for us." Now the first 
premise is assumed. That Christ was immersed 
cannot be proved. He came up out of the 
water, but that does not prove his immersion ; 
besides as we have noticed, the preposition which 
is translated " out of" has a variety of mean- 
ings, and might be rendered from with equal 
propriety. So if the translators (with whom 
the Baptists find so much fault for not doing 
their work better) had translated it thus, He 
went up straightway from the water, then there 
would have been no appearance of immersion. 
But there is not the least evidence that he was 
baptized as an example for us. And the fact, 
that he could not be baptized in the name of 
the Trinity, which is essential to Christian bap- 
tism, that he could not be baptized upon a pro- 
fession of his faith in himself, nor for washing 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 93 



away his sins, emblematically, nor unto repent- 
ance to prepare the way for his own coming, 
according to the practice and design of John's 
baptism, is conclusive evidence that his baptism 
was essentially different from all other Christian 
baptisms, and could not have been intended as 
an example for us. But if the mode of his bap- 
tism be an example for us to follow, then the 
time of his baptism is also an example for us. 
But he was not baptized till about thirty years 
of age ; therefore, if we must follow his example, 
we must wait till we arrive at the same age or 
have been pious as long. But who believes 
that ? Methinks I hear the Baptist say, " Why 
tarriest thou? arise and be baptized." 

Again, if he was baptized as an example for 
us, why did he not partake of the sacrament of 
the supper for the same end ? But this he did 
not do. Nor is there the least possible evidence 
that he is our example in baptism. He was 
baptized " to fulfil all righteousness." The Law 
required that every priest should be washed or 
baptized with water, and in obedience to that 
law, he, being about to fulfil the great work of 
the priest in making atonement for the sins of 



94 



REASONS FOR 



the people, submitted to that ordinance of the 
law. But it is said, " He was not in the regu- 
lar line of the priesthood." But this no more 
released or excluded him from the ceremonies 
of that office, than it excluded him from the 
office, or prevented his making atonement for 
sin as our high priest. 

Another favorite argument with the Baptists 
is this. " Baptism is designed to represent the 
death, burial and resurrection of Christ; and 
this can only be done by our being buried in, 
and raised up out of the water." But the 
Scriptures nowhere represent this to be the 
design of baptism. And how, we ask, does 
immersion represent the death of Christ ? He 
died on the cross, suspended between the heav- 
ens and the earth, and who ever heard of a 
person being immersed in that manner ? This 
would be quite as bad as sprinkling, which 
causes such horror to the Baptists. The candi- 
date's being raised out of the water represents 
his coming forth from the tomb, about as truly. 
There are passages of Scripture on which this 
opinion is founded which we will examine. Rom. 
vi. 2, &c. "How shall we that are dead to sin 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



95 



live any longer therein : know ye not that so 
many of us as were (are) baptized into Jesus 
Christ (into or to faith in Christ) were baptized 
into (or to a faith in) his death ? therefore we 
are buried with him by baptism into his death, 
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead 
by the glory of the Father, even so also we 
should walk in newness of life." Now here is 
no reference to the mode of baptism at all, but 
the idea is simply this: As Christ died for 
sin, (and buried simply denotes death,) so we 
should reckon ourselves dead with him, unto 
sin, and baptism is a sign of that death or sep- 
aration from sin. Now unless Christ had been 
put to death by being buried alive, there can be 
traced no resemblance between immersion and 
his death. Much is said of " Christ's liquid 
grave" but we have never seen it, or found it 
in the Bible. Men ought to blush, and would, 
but for the hardening influences of bigotry and 
fanaticism, to be heard exhorting converts to 
follow " their Saviour down into his liquid 
grave" But the apostle uses two other meta- 
phors here to express the connection of a re- 
deemed sinner with the Saviour ; " for if we 



96 



REASONS TOR 



have been planted together in the likeness of 
his death (if we are dead to sin, as he was for 
sin,) we shall be also in the likeness of his res- 
urrection," that is, we shall be raised from a 
death of sin, to a life of holiness. 

Again: ' 4 Knowing this, that our old man 
(carnal nature) is crucified with him, — that 
henceforth we should not serve sin." The pas- 
sage in Col. ii. 12, is of similar import, and 
admits of the same explanation. 

The practice of immersion in cold climates, 
and especially at the cold season of the year, is 
altogether inconsistent with the mild and merci- 
ful economy of the gospel. Go to Greenland, 
and in the midst of the almost everlasting ice, 
with the streams frozen to the bottom, and their 
huts encased in ice formed from the breath of 
the inmates, and there proclaim to the people, 
"believe and be immersed," and you would 
truly bind a " yoke upon them which neither we 
nor our fathers were able to bear," a duty which 
they could not possibly perform. " Only have 
faith and there is no danger," says the Baptist. 
We answer that it is not faith that is wanting, 
but caloric, or heat. 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 97 



It is not only inconsistent with the economy 
of grace, but it renders obedience in many in- 
stances actually impossible. It is frequently the 
case that persons who have neglected religion in 
health, or having sought the Lord, have for 
some reason neglected baptism, when they are 
brought to the gate of death, wish to con- 
fess the Saviour and receive the sacrament be- 
fore they die, But they cannot be immersed, 
sickness renders it absolutely impossible ; must 
they be denied this privilege ? To tell them that 
baptism is not their duty, would be to contradict 
the Bible. We could no more refuse the sacra- 
ment to such and let them die in grief, than we 
could break the Sabbath, or profane God's holy 
name. If the Baptists can, they are welcome to 
their consciences and their faith. But these 
difficulties are often too much even for them. 
A little boy of a neighboring State, the son of 
a Baptist mother, became a happy Christian. 
He bore the pains of a lingering sickness with 
the utmost patience, rejoicing in the hope of a 
glorious immortality. A little before his death 
he desired to be baptized and receive the sacra- 
ment. Said the mother, you are so sick yoit 



98 



REASONS FOR 



cannot be taken up to be baptized. I know it, 
mother, said he, but I can be baptized in my 
cradle. Could the mother refuse ? The Meth- 
odist minister was sent for, but being unordained, 
he called to his aid an Episcopalian, and re- 
paired to the place, and little Robert was bap- 
tized. Arrangements were now made for the 
communion. The agitation of the anxious mother 
and her Baptist friends, may easily be imagined. 
What could they do ? Thank God, prejudice 
and sectarian proscription gave way, and they 
.all knelt around the cradle, Episcopalians, Meth- 
odists, and Baptists, and with the dying saint 
solemnized the holy sacrament. Was this wrong ? 
Let those believe it who can ! We cannot. 

It was in view of the foregoing reasons, 
.scriptures, and facts, that my mind, after a long 
and hard struggle between these and previous 
opinions., yielded to the force of conviction, and 
I wholly renounced the doctrine of exclusive 
immersion. 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



99 



CHAPTER V. 

OPEN COMMUNION. 



Methodists regard the sacrament of the 
Lord's Supper as an ordinance appointed by the 
Lord, to be repeated in the church till his 
coming again at the last day. " Do this in 
remembrance of me," "till I come." It is a 
commemoration of the sufferings and death of 
Christ ; but it is more than a mere commemora- 
tion, for God has taught us to expect his special 
presence and blessing, in the observance of this 
institution, and that faith is necessary in order 
to a proper observance of the same, for we must 
" discern the Lord's body," which we can do 
only through faith. Every person coming to 
the table of the Lord, should expect to meet the 
Saviour, and receive spiritual profit ; to go away 
a better Christian than when he came, more 
heavenly minded, more like Christ. In order 
to be prepared to approach the table of the 
Lord, a person must be a practical believer in 



100 



REASONS FOR 



the doctrine of the vicarious atonement by 
Christ ; in " Christ our sacrifice for sin," and 
the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ 
Jesus. By receiving the sacrament he says to 
the world, that he believes these Gospel truths, 
and rests his hope of heaven on this foundation, 
and this alone. Every person possessing this 
qualification, and giving evidence of the same, 
has a right to come to the Lord's table. So 
Methodists believe and so they practice. It is 
the Lord's table, let none of his children be for- 
bidden to approach it. They do not therefore 
regard baptism as an indispensable prerequisite 
to the communion. Though a desirable order, 
yet it is not an indispensable one. In accord- 
ance with these principles, they invite to the table 
of the Lord with them all persons in regular 
standing in any of the evangelical churches. 
But it is sometimes asked, why not invite all 
Christians, and say nothing about church mem- 
bership ? We answer : When a person is a 
member of a Christian church he is supposed to 
be a Christian ; the church vouches for his 
Christian character, by receiving and retaining 
him within its pale ; and on this their recom- 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



101 



mendation, or testimony, we welcome him to the 
communion, though he be a stranger to us. But 
to invite persons for whom no one is responsible, 
and of whom we know nothing, save that he 
says he is a Christian, would be to expose oar- 
selves to imposition from those who claim to be 
Christians, though they give no evidence of it 
to others. There are not a few of this class at 
the present day. Hence the impropriety of a 
more general invitation. But those who are 
personally known as Christians are made 
welcome. There are persons who have experi- 
enced religion, but have not as yet been able to 
satisfy their minds in regard to the subject of 
baptism, (no strange occurrence in the midst of 
the conflicting sentiments of Baptists and others, 
and having no divinely inspired men as in the 
days of the apostles, to determine infallibly for 
us,) and wishing to act understanding^ in all 
things, they have as yet, deferred being baptized, 
or uniting with the church. Or they may have 
delayed it from some peculiarity in their circum- 
stances, or for want of a convenient opportunity 
to be baptized, yet giving evidence to all that 
they are true disciples of Christ ; such persons 



102 



REASONS FOR 



are welcome to the table of the Lord among 
Methodists. That this is the sentiment of the 
Methodist church as a body, (though some indi- 
viduals may hold differently) is evident not only 
from her practice and the writings of some 
of her most prominent men, but from the recent 
unanimous decision of the Bishops or Superin- 
tendents, viz. : " That baptism is not a Scrip- 
tural, and therefore not an indispensable, pre- 
requisite to the communion." This, coming from 
the highest authority in the church, and 
approved by all, or at least nearly all of the 
ministry and membership, shows that it is the 
doctrine of the church. 

And in perfect accordance with this is the 
language of the discipline, as seen in its ritual. 
" Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your 
sins, and are in love and charity with your 
neighbors, and intend to lead a new life, follow- 
ing the commandments of God, and walking 
henceforth in his holy ways ; draw near, with 
faith, and take this holy sacrament to your 
comfort ; and make your humble confession to 
Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your 
knees." 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 103 



It may be proper here to take a little notice 
of a tract written by Rev. S. Remington, a Bap- 
tist minister, (formerly a Methodist clergyman,) 
and circulated quite extensively by the Baptist 
church, styled a " Defence of restricted com- 
munion," in which there are several things 
deserving of attention; not on account of the 
ability or candor manifested by the writer, but 
for the misrepresentations it contains, and the 
fact that they are endorsed and circulated by 
the Baptist church. 

The author first assumes what is wholly void 
of truth, viz. : That Congregationalists, Metho- 
dists (and all others,) agree perfectly with the 
Baptists, that baptism is an indispensable pre- 
requisite to the communion ; and then on this 
false assumption as a foundation, he proceeds 
to erect his building, the materials of which are 
of the same character. He says, " we agree 
that it (baptism) is one of the essential requisites 
of an admission to the Lord's table, and that 
none, however pious, ought to be permitted to 
enjoy this holy ordinance previous to a compli- 
ance with this Christian rite." This he thinks 
so " obvious" as to need no proof. He even 



104 



REASONS FOR 



intimates that it has never been " affirmed to the 
contrary," which it seems that he must have 
known to be untrue, especially as in the same 
work, page 27, he mentions, by way of reproach, 
that a certain prominent Methodist minister had 
approved the contrary. And we have shown 
that not only one prominent man, but the 
church as a body, hold and practice the oppo- 
site. But he has condescended to attempt to 
furnish some proof of his position. His reference 
to the practice of the apostles will be answered 
in another place. He then quotes a number 
of authors, but not a Methodist writer is found 
in the whole list. Suppose we should affirm 
that all denominations agree that infants should 
be baptized, and quote a long list of Presbyterian 
and Congregationalist writers in proof ; then 
assume the point as settled ? What would the 
Baptists say to such proof ? Yet we might do 
it with equal propriety ! Still this false assump- 
tion is reiterated so frequently, that one is 
reminded of the saying, that men generally in 
defending a weak point, make up what is wanting 
in argument by confident and unqualified asser- 
tions. But we are told, on page 36, that " The 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 105 



Methodist E. Church, by a fair construction of 
her discipline, is far from being open in her 
communion." Now there is not a word in the 
Discipline to justify such a statement. The 
only argument which has the semblance of 
plausibility in it, is a quotation from a previous 
edition of our Discipline which was as follows. 
" Let no person that is not a member of our 
church be admitted to the communion without 
examination, and some token given by an elder 
or deacon. No person shall be admitted to the 
Lord's Supper among us, who is guilty of any 
practice for which we would exclude a member 
of our church." 

Now this rule was adopted when some of the 
other denominations, with which we were asso- 
ciated in many places, did not make practical 
piety a condition of church membership; but 
Methodists, believing then as now, that no 
impenitent or ungodly person should come to the 
communion, it was necessary to adopt some rule 
by which such persons, who, though they might 
belong to the church, could be prevented from 
coming to our communion. But the circum- 
stances having so changed in this respect as to 



106 



REASONS FOR 



render this rule no longer necessary, or of any 
practical use, it remained on the statute book of 
the church, as a dead letter, until the last Gen- 
eral Conference, when it was stricken out. Let 
the reader of this work of our Baptist friend 
keep this fact in mind. This quotation forms an 
essential part of every succeeding argument 
against Methodism, and yet in every instance is 
this and every other quotation from the Disci- 
pline, most manifestly, and it would seem, 
wilfully perverted from the design and use of 
the same — as when he quotes the rule in 
reference to giving tickets for love-feasts, &c, 
an institution peculiar to Methodism, and applies 
it to the communion, to which he knew it had 
no reference whatever. He next quotes from 
the Discipline where it is stated that ministers 
and members who hold and disseminate doctrines 
contrary to those of our church, endeavoring to 
sow dissension in our societies, &c, shall be 
treated as in cases of gross immorality, or be 
expelled. He then attempts to prove that 
because we expel those ministers and members 
who, having in the most solemn manner pro- 
fessed their faith in the doctrines of the church, 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 107 



and promised to observe its usages, violate all 
their obligations, and acting the part of traitors, 
makes use of their hypocritical profession, or 
connection with the church, in order to injure it, 
that, therefore, we have no right to commune 
with those ministers and members of other 
churches (differing in some points of doctrine 
from us,) who have always acted in perfect con- 
sistency with their profession. Wonderful logic 
this ! Here we find the erased rule dragged in, 
to meet a case entirely remote from that for 
which it was designed. 

Another instance of perversion is found on 
page 41, where, to make out his point against 
the Methodists, he professes to quote the rule 
relating to members set aside for a breach of our 
rules ; but quotes the one referring to those 
expelled from the church for immorality. Now 
we cannot suppose him so ignorant as not to 
know that this was an utter perversion of the 
Discipline, which contains two distinct rules for 
the trial of these different classes of persons. 
But he entirely disregards this distinction, and 
applies what is said of persons expelled for 
immorality to those set aside for breach of rules. 



108 



REASONS FOR 



On the next page we find him repeating this (as 
it seems to us) wilful perversion of the Disci- 
pline, and adding again the expunged rule, and 
professing with the help of these, to prove that 
because the Methodist Church requires her 
members to attend class-meetings, she has no 
right to commune with members of other denom- 
inations, who do not regularly attend class, 
though no such institution exists among them ! 
Yes, he says : " Their rule says that they shall 
not be admitted." Now we do not like to say 
that he knew that was false ; but we are con- 
strained to exclaim, Poor human nature, how 
strangely will prejudice and bigotry blind thy 
eyes ! The man who would resort to such 
reasoning to sustain his position, must have 
either a bad cause or a bad heart, if not both ; 
but this is the sum of his arguments to prove 
that Methodists do not hold to open communion. 
Yet he has the audacity to affirm in opposition 
to reason and facts, that " The Methodist Epis- 
copal Church is close communion." He is also 
very liberal in dealing out his charges of incon- 
sistency, " violation of conscience," &c. Now 
all this will pass for sense and logic with bigoted 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



109 



sectarians ; but all other minds will form a very 
different opinion. It is a strong argument in 
favor of Methodism, that a man who seems 
willing to put his logic and conscience both, to 
the torture, to find something against it, can find 
nothing more reasonable than these manifest 
perversions and misrepresentations. But the 
writer informs his readers in his preface, with 
an air of self-consequence, that he has been 
" stationed in eigh£ different cities," and there- 
fore must know all about Methodism ; as though 
his having been stationed in that number of 
cities was an important fact to prove his knowl- 
edge of Methodism! We know that some 
restless spirits do manage to go (or be sent) 
from city to city, stopping only a year perhaps 
in a place ; but we are not aware that such 
persons have any more correct knowledge of 
Methodism than others ; and such a reputation 
is by no means enviable. The ability and stand- 
ing of Methodist ministers^ is not to be deter- 
mined by the fact of their having been stationed 
in one or a dozen cities, or over wealthy churches. 
They are stationed according to the wants of 
the people, not according to their fulness. 



110 



KEASONS FOR 



As the question, Is baptism an indispensable 
prerequisite to the communion ? is an important 
one ; for the only hope of the Baptists is in 
sustaining this point. Therefore in order to lay 
the subject fully before the reader, with the 
arguments for and against, and at the same time 
answering the Scripture argument of Mr". Rem- 
ington, we here present an extract from a 
" Review of Rev. Jacob Knapp's sermon on 
restricted and mixed communion, by Rev. J. 
Porter." The circumstances, it appears, were 
these : Elder Knapp, a celebrated Baptist revi- 
valist, visited Boston, and in perfect accordance 
with the practice of his colleagues, Andrews 
and others, represented himself, and was repre- 
sented by his friends, as the decided antagonist 
of narrow sectarianism, and immediately began 
to denounce the " sectarian devil" as the pow- 
erful enemy (to the progress) of pure Christ- 
ianity ; and threatened to drive him from the 
city. By such professions he secured the 
co-operation of most of the Evangelical churches 
to aid and sustain him and his meetings. The 
result was, that a large number professed con- 
version. But when about to leave, Mr. Knapp 



BECOMING A METHODIST. Ill 



had the notice circulated, that he would preach 
at such a time, his farewell sermon to the young 
converts. The plot thus artfully laid, he in 
accordance with his exclusive sentiments, and 
as Baptists are wont to do, improved, by preach- 
ing a sermon in favor of restricted, and against 
open or mixed communion. 

His Baptist friends regarding it as a triumph, 
caught at once the zeal of their leader, and had 
the sermon published, and distributed it gratu- 
itously among the young converts. This, others 
thought, looked a little like inviting " his 
Majesty," the u Sectarian Devil," back, but 
perhaps it was merely uncovering his " foot," 
which had been concealed for a time as a matter 
of policy. Elder Knapp being one of their 
strong men, and not a man who deals in weak 
arguments, where better are to be obtained, 
we may properly regard his arguments, in favor 
of baptism, as a necessary prerequisite to the 
communion, the strongest, if not the only ones, 
to be found. Mr. K. takes the position " that 
no person, however pious, has a right to partic- 
ipate at the Lord's Supper until baptized." In 
proof of this he refers to the apostolic example, 



112 



REASONS FOR 



as indubitable evidence, and exhibits that exam- 
ple in several Scriptures, of which the following 
is a specimen : " Then Peter said unto them, 
repent and be baptized, every one of you. Then 
they that gladly received his word were baptized, 
and the same day there were added unto them 
about 8000 souls." Not to question here what 
is intended to be proved by these Scriptures, 
viz. : that the practice of the apostles was, first 
to baptize their converts and then administer 
the sacrament, I remark, to constitute their 
examples into a valid and sufficient argument, it 
must be shown, 

1. That it has the force of a divine precept. 
2. That they regarded baptism an indispensable 
prerequisite to the communion, so that the 
communion could not be administered properly 
without it. And 3. That circumstances in the 
constitution of the church have not so altered, 
that some persons may properly receive the 
communion who have not been baptized. 

The right or wrong of partaking of the com- 
munion before baptism, depends entirely on the 
will of God. Now the question is, was the 
example of the apostles in the premises designed 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 113 

as an expression of the will of God concerning 
us ? Mr. K. assumes the affirmative ; we deny 
it, and call for proof. If God designed by these 
historical references to teach us the duty of 
receiving and administering baptism before we 
do the communion, he designed that we should 
be baptized and join the church the same day 
we believe, and do every thing else in the way 
the apostles did. For if apostolic history has 
the authority of law in one particular, where it 
is not attended by express precept, it has the 
same authority in every other particular. Hence 
we are under the same obligation to have all 
things common, to have the sacrament in the 
night, and in an upper room, that we are to be 
baptized before partaking of it. Admitting for 
argument's sake, that the example attributed to 
the apostles, has the authority of law, the next 
point for Mr. K. to prove is, that they admin- 
istered baptism as a prerequisite to the com- 
munion, so that without receiving the first the 
latter could not be properly administered. This 
is the main point in the discussion — the hinge 
upon which the whole turns. But where is the 
proof? Not the least particle is offered, neither 
10 



114 



REASONS FOR 



can it be produced. Hence, says (the Baptist) 
Mr. (Robert) Hall, " We affirm that in no part 
of the Scripture is it (baptism) inculcated as a 
preparative to the Lord's Supper 9 and that this 
view of it is a mere fiction of the imagination ! " 
But had he proved this point, he must have 
shown one thing more before apostolic example 
would have met the necessities of his case, viz. : 
that the circumstances of the church have not 
so altered that some may properly receive the 
sacrament who have not been baptized. This 
he has not attempted. The apostles were 
inspired. They knew the will of God and had 
power to demonstrate their knowledge and 
authority by working miracles. To have refused 
to be baptized as they required, was to disobey 
God wilfully , and show a determination not to 
be governed by divine commands. That such 
ought to be debarred from the communion there 
is no doubt. For this, free communionists have 
ample provision. But what is the state of the 
case now T ? It is very different. Ministers are 
now like other men, dependent on the Bible for 
all their knowledge of divine things. Hence 
after doing their best to ascertain what the will 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 115 



of the Lord is, they differ as also do the people ; 
at best, they only believe, whereas the apostles 
knew. 

One believes immersion is the only mode of 
baptism, another believes in sprinkling. Both 
have read and studied the Bible, watched and 
prayed, to know the truth, and are equally sin- 
cere and honest. Their earnest desire is to do the 
whole will of God. And God owns and blesses 
one equally with the other. Now admitting 
that the apostles, having definite knowledge on 
the subject, did refuse the communion to those 
who would not be baptized, does it follow that 
ministers, or people, at the present time, who at 
least but believe, are authorized to refuse the 
communion to those who are equally good w 7 ith 
themselves, but happen to differ from them on a 
disputed point ? (one, too, of which they have 
no positive knowledge.) No reasonable man, 
who is not blinded either by bigotry or prejudice, 
can believe it. Thus Mr. K.'s argument from 
apostolic example, falls to the ground, and it 
being the only one deduced w r orthy of consid- 
eration, his main proposition falls w T ith it. 

Apparently fearing for his cause, after all. 



116 



REASONS FOR 



Mr. K. makes another attempt at its defence, 
more singular than any which has gone before. 
He says, that, " when Christ took the twelve 
apostles into an upper room and brake the 
bread to them, there were many other true 
Christians in Jerusalem, who were not invited 
to participate with them, because not regularly 
admitted into the church." 

It may be thought rude, but it is important 
for me to inquire of Mr. K. where he obtained 
this information. That it is revealed in our 
common Bible, no one will pretend. Whether it 
is in the new Baptist Bible, from which I under- 
stand the word baptize is expunged, and immerse 
put in its place, or whether it is what is some- 
times termed home-made scripture, I am utterly 
at a loss to know. At all events it makes sad 
work with the gospel. It is said in St. Matthew, 
that all Jerusalem went out and " were baptized 
of John in Jordan." Is it not strange that no 
more of them happened to be in Jerusalem at 
that time ? But I will not dwell here. The 
young convert ought not to be influenced by 
assertions, unless accompanied with proof. The 
declaration, that " God does require in his word 



BECOMING- A METHODIST. 117 



that all persons should be baptized before they 
come to the communion table," is equally un- 
founded. Where, it may be asked, is the requi- 
sition recorded ? Or when did the primitive 
church comply with any such requisition ? We 
have demanded the record, but it has not yet 
appeared. The truth is, the idea that because 
a man has neglected baptism, we must not allow 
him to remember his Saviour, is absurd. What 
would be said should we teach that because a 
man had neglected to watch, therefore he must 
not pray ? While this theory commands con- 
formity to what is thought to have been apostolic 
example, it compels disobedience to the (known) 
command of Christ, " Do this in remembrance 
of me." Thus, while it accuses us of sin in the 
one case, it demands that we sin in the other 
also. 



118 



EEASONS FOR 



CHAPTER VI. 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPIRITUAL CULTURE 
AND FOR USEFULNESS. 

The second fact that we were to consider is, 
the opportunity afforded for spiritual profiting, 
or growth in grace, by the church of my choice. 
I find in the Methodist church all those means 
of grace which are common to other branches 
of Christ's church ; and several others peculiar 
to Methodism, such as class-meetings, love- 
feasts, &c. 

Class-meetings are eminently calculated to re- 
vive and improve the spirituality, and strengthen 
the faith of the Christian. They are also pre- 
eminently adapted to develope the different gifts 
and talents in the church, and at the same time 
strengthen the confidence and improve the ability 
of all. It is there the inexperienced learn 
wisdom, and the experienced become wiser. 
There the weak become strong, and the strong 
renew their strength. It is there the tempted 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 119 



find deliverance, and the delivered become 
established. There the indifferent are made to 
feel their responsibility, and those feeling it are 
moved to action. The timid are encouraged, 
and the self-confident humbled. In short, every 
advantage which can result from a friendly 
Christian intercourse among believers, in holy 
conference and communion with each other, and 
with their common Lord, is secured in the class- 
room. Who has not felt the importance of such 
a privilege to obtain light and instruction, and 
receive lessons for their own profit in listening 
to the experience of others ? We were made to 
bless each other in a thousand ways ; and we 
are influenced by the experience as well as 
example of other Christians. 

Class-meetings are a perfect copy of the 
example of those who, in the days of Malachi, 
the Prophet, " Feared the Lord, and spake often 
one to another, and the Lord hearkened and 
heard it, and a book of remembrance was 
written," &c. " If you are sincere, the class- 
meeting will neither be dreaded nor disliked. 
There is, perhaps, no religious ordinance more 
delightful and salutary in its influence on the 



120 



REASONS FOR 



minds of those who diligently seek God, and 
who endeavor faithfully to serve him. As they 
have no motive for concealing their actual state 
and character, they can sustain the test to 
which the class-meeting subjects them. They 
can, with frankness, humility and gratitude, 
describe their religious experience ; and in the 
utterance of their own feelings, in listening to the 
statements of their fellow-members, and in re- 
ceiving the admonitions of their leader, they 
find themselves stimulated, strengthened, and 
encouraged ; they are blessed with the manifes- 
tations of the divine presence and favor, and 
return to their homes, cleaving unto the Lord 
with increased confidence, attachment, and de- 
votedness. Such are the advantages which 
class-zneetings are the means of conferring on 
those who resort to them in sincerity. But to 
the unwatchful, cold-hearted, and worldly pro- 
fessor, class-meetings are an unwelcome ordeal. 
His false pretensions, his superficial experience, 
shrink from the searching investigation." And 
while a few have shown a lamentable spirit of 
bigotry and malice toward this institution, merely 
because it was found among the Methodists, (as 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 121 

in the case of the author of " The Great Iron 
Wheel," of whom it was fitly said by one of his 
own denominational brethren, that " his faith 
evidently worked by malice instead of love"} 
a much larger portion of other denominations 
generously and frankly admit the fitness and 
wisdom of this means of grace. An influential 
member of the Congregational church, who was. 
strongly attached to that people, and had been 
as strongly opposed to the Methodists until an 
acquaintance with them removed his prejudices, 
said to me, "I admire your social meetings, 
especially your class-meetings ; by that means 
you become acquainted with each other's spiritual 
state, which not only prepares you to sympathize 
with, and labor for, each other, but also cultivates 
bretherly love, and affords an opportunity to 
encourage and 6 exhort one another,' as the 
Bible commands." And said he, " I tell my 
brethren that we greatly need some such social 
means of grace, for we know nothing of the 
spiritual state of the members of the church, 
except that we see them at church and the com- 
munion ; and how can we labor together ; it is 
impossible." 

11 



122 



REASONS FOR 



Love-feasts are of less frequent occurrence, 
generally connected with Quarterly Meetings, 
and are composed of all the members in the 
society or circuit, as far as it is convenient for 
them to meet on the occasion. The nature of the 
meeting is similar to class-meetings, though dif- 
ferent in some respects. Those present on these 
occasions, partake of bread and water, in token 
of their love and friendship, and then speak 
freely of their present or past experience, as 
they may be led by the spirit's influence. This 
means of grace is much loved by all genuine 
Methodists ; and it is a service of peculiar 
interest and profit to the young convert, and a 
season of great refreshing to the whole church ; 
" a feast of fat things, of wine on the lees well 
refined," a blessed foretaste of Heaven above. 
Many are the testimonials which have been 
received in favor of this institution from members 
of other churches, who have been present at 
these feasts of love. Said a venerable man and 
an influential deacon in a sister church, previous 
to going to a love feast, with his friends who 
were Methodists, " I think you would do well 
to change the name of your meeting ; the design 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



123 



is undoubtedly a good one, but some object to 
the name ' Love Feast,' as not a Scriptural 
one." But after he had witnessed the exercise, 
and partook of the spirit of love, and holy joy, 
that prevailed, as he came out of the meeting 
he said, u I will recall my suggestion to alter 
the name of your meeting ; I am satisfied now 
you could not get a more appropriate one ; you 
do well to call it a Love Feast, for so it is in 
reality." Then there is something peculiar in 
Methodist prayer-meetings. Not only that they 
are held more frequently than among most other 
denominations, but there is a degree of spirit, 
life, and energy, in them, found in no other. 
This is attributable to two causes, viz. : their 
faith or sentiment, and the advantages of class 
meetings. They believe that the Christian life 
is one of constant, vigorous action. So they 
understand the Scriptures to teach. Paul cries 
to the armies of God's Israel, " Fight the good 
fight of faith," " run the race." They listen 
again, and they hear the Great Captain of our 
salvation saying, " Strive to enter in at the 
strait gate." " Work while the day lasts." 
" Be zealous." And again James encourages 



124 



REASONS FOR 



them with the assurance that, " the effectual 
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth 
much." In view of these and a countless num- 
ber of similar Scriptures, they believe it the duty 
of every Christian to stand as a bold witness for 
God and his cause, a valiant active soldier of 
Christ. Thev believe also that it is the Christ- 
ian's privilege to " be joyful in the house of 
prayer," as well as deeply earnest in their sup- 
plications in behalf of the world's conversion; 
to enjoy such a measure of the divine presence 
and power, as to fill the soul with holy comfort, 
perfect peace, and joy unspeakable. " Accord- 
ing to thy faith, so be it unto thee." Hence 
the great and lamented Dr. Chalmers, a Presby- 
terian, was led to exclaim, " Methodism is 
Christianity in earnest." 

Then they have become accustomed to bearing 
the cross in their class-meetings, where there 
were none to criticise, but all to pray, hence the 
ready and cheerful manner in which they bear 
testimony for God, both in prayer and exhor- 
tation, and " God loveth the cheerful giver." 
It is here you find that solemn earnestness com- 
bined with cheerful holy delight, which is found 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 125 



no where else. In addition to these privileges, 
the plain, practical, extemporaneous and pointed 
manner of preaching among Methodists is much 
better calculated to reach the heart and improve 
the spirituality, than the written essays which 
too often take the place of preaching. 

The third and last question is, where can I 
do the most good ? What church is best adapted 
to fulfil the great commission, " Go ye into all 
the world and preach the gospel to every cre- 
ture," to convert the world ? 

That is the best system of church polity, 
which, while it conforms to the Bible in all 
things therein defined, affords the greatest 
advantages for doing good, both to its own mem- 
bers and to the world at large. The great dis- 
tinguishing feature of Methodist polity is her 
system of an itinerant ministry, in connection 
with extemporaneous preaching. To an itinerant 
ministry many object, not because it is not 
useful, but because it is unpleasant, requires 
great sacrifice, and self-denial, &c. But the 
object of the ministry is to save men, not to 
gratify their wishes or please their tastes only 
so far as they accord with the best interests 



126 



REASONS FOR 



of Christ's cause. Benevolence , not selfishness, 
is the appropriate principle of action in the 
ministry as well as in all religion. We are 
bound to support that system which is most 
efficient in securing the objects of the ministry. 
This is very generally overlooked, and the fact, 
that nearly every objection brought against the 
itinerancy, is based on the principle of selfishness, 
is a strong argument in its favor : for instance, 
as the oft repeated expression, " when we get 
a good minister we want to keep him ! " Xow 
he is not your minister, but God's minister to 
the world, and he belongs to the world ; and if 
you have been favored with an able and suc- 
cessful minister two years, why not be willing 
others should have the same privilege ? But, 
"we pay a large salary, and we must have a 
talented (or smart) man." How perfectly 
selfish ! " But it is so unpleasant to leave one's 
friends, to move so often," &c. Who, then, 
would go to carry the gospel to the heathen ? 
When would the Saviour have left the Father's 
throne to come to earth, if he had waited till it 
was a pleasant task ? Besides, it is much pleas- 
anter to leave those we love, than to be driven 



BECOMING- A METHODIST. 127 



away by those who hate us. But it affords too 
short a time to become acquainted with the 
people, — is another popular objection. A short 
time only will be found necessary for a faithful 
pastor to become sufficiently acquainted for all 
practical purposes connected with his ministry, 
and any farther acquaintance is not only un- 
necessary, but a decided disadvantage. A too 
familiar acquaintance with all the matters in the 
community is a great embarrassment to the 
preacher of the Gospel. But it is said, " the 
pastoral relation should be permanent." But 
it should be remembered that Methodist churches 
are never without a pastor, nor the minister 
without a charge. Whereas all other churches 
are frequently left " destitute " for a long time, 
and are always liable to be ; the same is true of 
their ministers. While the Methodist itinerancy 
secures to every church a pastor and to every 
pastor a charge, so that the term " destitute " is 
not know 7 n among them, except in cases of death 
or suspension from the ministry — and then they 
are sure to be at once supplied. 

But is an itinerating ministry Scriptural, and 
is it the most efficient ? These are the only 



128 



REASONS FOR 



proper questions. That it is Scriptural is evident 
from the following Scriptural facts. Christ was 
himself an itinerant. He " went about doing 
good," from town to town, and from city to 
city;" preaching in the country waste, and in 
the city full. Matthew says, " He went about 
all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and 
preaching the gospel of the kingdom." " He 
went about all the cities and villages." Neither 
the unbelief and persecutions of his enemies, 
could prevent his giving them the offer of life, 
nor the affection or flattery of his friends detain 
him, or prevent his leaving them to go and 
preach to others. And when he called Peter 
and Andrew his brother to the ministry, he 
said, " Follow me, and I will make you fishers 
of men." And they did so ; so of the other 
disciples. " They followed him." When he 
sent out the twelve to preach, he said to them, 
" As ye go, preach, saying the kingdom of heaven 
is at hand." The history of the labors of the 
apostles is a demonstration of their itinerating 
character. The travels of St. Paul are prover- 
bial. Three years is the longest time we have 
any account of their ever stopping in one place. 



BECOMING- A METHODIST. 



129 



Nothing is more evident from the Scriptures 
than that the apostles were itinerant ministers. 

That it is more efficient than a settled min- 
istry, is also evident from the following consid- 
erations : 

Men are differently constituted; and they 
probably differ more mentally and morally than 
than they do physically. Some have logical, 
reasoning minds, and no preaching interests or 
benefits them but the argumentative. Sermons 
made up of sound, logical argument, are the 
only sermons for them. Let Paul reason of 
righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to 
come, and their minds are interested and their 
hearts moved. Others seem never to reason 
logically or to take any interest in such preach- 
ing ; they want plain, pointed, matter of fact 
preaching, that comes warm from the heart and 
with power. Let Peter utter his thunders and 
they are pleased and profited. While others 
are charmed by the chaste and eloquent strains 
of Apollos. Others again have a mind very 
susceptible of the plaintive and the sympathetic ; 
with them it is all the same, whether Paul 
reasons, Peter thunders, or Apollos charms ; but 



130 



REASONS FOR 



let the Son of consolation or the loving John 
pour forth his pathetic strains, and they cry, 
" I yield, I yield ; I can hold out no more." 
"While to others it would be like pouring water 
on a rock ; it might wear it, but never break it, 
nothing but the fire and the hammer will do 
that. And the Lord chooses his ministers in 
view of these facts. Hence we find not only in 
the days of the apostles, but in every age, men 
of all these different constitutional peculiarities 
and tastes in the ministry ; men with gifts and 
grades of talent adapted to all the different 
minds in the world. We find more or less of 
all these different classes in every community, 
consequently in every congregation the itiner- 
ancy is perfectly adapted to meet this state of 
things. This year they have a successor of 
Paul with his logical sermons, and an important 
class of minds are especially benefited, the un- 
believing converted, and the saints built up. 
He is removed and is followed by a plain matter 
of fact, hortatory preacher, who, Boanerges-like, 
utters his thunders in their ears, and another 
class are reached, gathered into the church, and 
built up in the faith. He is followed by an 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 131 



eloquent Apollos, a loving John, or a weeping 
Barnabas, and so all the different classes are 
blessed with a minister whose gift is adapted to 
their peculiar character. Whereas on the prin- 
ciple of a settled ministry only one class of 
minds would be especially profited, and the 
remainder, though they " liked what the min- 
ister said well enough," yet they would feel no 
very great interest in it, and would not be 
materially benefited. To say that every min- 
ister should possess all these gifts, is to say that 
they should be more perfect than the aposfcles. 
That these are important truths and not mere 
speculations, is evident from the history of the 
church in all ages. Where will you look for as 
frequent revivals of religion as are seen among 
itinerant ministers ? The great proportion of 
revivals among the settled ministry have been 
through the labors of itinerating evangelists ; 
yet, including these, they have been very few 
when compared with the number among the 
regular Methodist itinerants, as the history of 
the church plainly shows. Said a deacon of one 
of the oldest as well as one of the most influen- 
tial Congregational churches in his county, " I 



132 



REASONS FOR 



have been a member of our church, ever since 
its organization. We have had so many minis- 
ters ; some for one year, and others for a number 
of years in succession, and in every instance of 
a change of ministers we have been blessed with 
some revival, but none of them have ever been 
favored with but one season of revival while 
with us ; 99 — and, said he, "I have thought of 
it much, why it was so." The mystery is easily 
solved by the preceding statements. This ac- 
counts also for the frequent removals, where 
men are settled for an indefinite number of years, 
or hired from year to year ; for recently they 
move about as often on the whole as Methodists ; 
but while we move by system, they move by 
constraint, or from necessity, (for it would be 
uncharitable to suppose that it is to obtain larger 
salaries.) The fact is, that unless one class of 
minds have the controlling influence, a portion 
of the hearers to whom the preaching, though 
ever so good, is not adapted, will, after two or 
three years at most, become dissatisfied, and 
want a change, and either the minister will ask 
a dismission to prevent what is worse, and go 
out to hunt up another field, leaving the church 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



183 



" destitute/' or, he will remain, and discord and 
division will be the consequence. Dislike it as 
we may, it is impossible for one minisier to suit 
every body ; and yet all classes of men are 
represented in almost every community. 

The defence of the gospel is an important 
work, but one for which many good ministers 
have little taste or capacity. Yet error is wide- 
spread over the earth, and God has called some 
logical clear-sighted men, who, like Paul, are 
able to analyze error, and undermine its foun- 
dations, exposing the sophistical reasoning of 
its advocates. But how shall the comparatively 
few, who are blessed with this gift, perform this 
work, unless they itinerate as did the great 
Apostle ? Some ministers have a peculiar ability 
to explain the doctrines and institutions of the 
church ; enforcing their obligations, while others 
have not that gift. But every church needs to 
have them explained and enforced. 

2. The itinerancy has a powerful influence on 
the ministry to preserve its purity and piety. 
In view of the apparent ease, honor, and wealth 
connected with a settled ministry with large 
salaries, there is some inducement for men to 



134 



REASONS FOR 



choose the office from worldly motives, and also, 
tendencies to backsliding, by fostering pride or 
love of the world in those who have entered the 
ministry from better motives. But such are the 
sacrifices of an itinerant minister, both of ease 
and the prospect of worldly gain, that no man 
would ever enter its ranks unless he felt as did 
Paul, that " woe is me if I preach not the gos- 
pel," unless it was through a mistaken idea, and 
then he would very soon find it convenient to 
leave for some other field. The labor and sacri- 
fice also, connected with it, tends to keep them 
humble, and drive them to a throne of grace for 
help. 

3. It avoids the temptation to preach to 
please the people, so necessarily connected with 
preaching as candidates for a " call," (a most 
unpleasant task certainly,) and it enables their 
minister to speak the truth fearlessly, as he does 
not see the rod of dismission held over his head, 
to be let fall if his plain and pointed manner 
should offend some sinner in or out of the 
church. 

4. It has the advantage of a natural love of 
novelty. Disguise it as we may, men do love 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



135 



new things. It is true of all men ; and many 
will be attracted to the house of God by the 
charm of a new minister, who would not go to 
hear the old one, be he ever so able. And if 
men are to be saved by the foolishness of 
preaching, they must be induced to hear it. 

5. It supplies a large number of feeble soci- 
eties with constant preaching, which could never 
be supplied on the principle of a settled minis- 
try. A preacher is sent them this year, and 
they pay him what little they can, and he by 
economy lives through the year, and perhaps 
two, and then goes to an abler appointment and 
another takes his place. Thus thousands of 
feeble societies are supplied until God adds to 
their strength. Or a number of these feeble 
societies are joined together, forming a circuit, 
including many destitute places where there are 
no societies. This circuit is travelled by one or 
more preachers, who visit the several places at 
stated intervals, not only supplying the feeble 
but also carrying the gospel where there are no 
religious privileges. In this way Methodism has 
supplied the frontier of the great west for fifty 
years, by which means a pure religion has been 



136 



REASONS FOR 



able to keep pace with emigration in that impor- 
tant field. In this way nine-tenths of the Meth- 
odist churches have been built up. The preacher 
has gone uncalled and called the people ; some 
have obeyed the call ; a society has been formed 
and finally a church erected, and the gospel, 
with its institutions established. It has been 
fitly said, that " the usual stationary ministry 
waits for the call of the people, while the Meth- 
odist ministry goes forth to call the people. This 
is one of its strongest points of contrast." 
Christianity is essentially missionary in its char- 
acter, unlike Judaism, local and confined to one 
nation, it is aggressive, and takes in the world. 
To this character agrees the system of Meth- 
odist itinerancy. It is calculated to encompass 
the world with one band of itinerant mission- 
aries ; for every Methodist itinerant is a mis- 
sionary, either home or foreign. Indeed, the 
Methodist church is one great missionary society, 
sending out her missionaries to preach the 
gospel to the poor and destitute at home, and to 
the heathen abroad. It is her glory that by 
her means more than every other, " the poor 
have the gospel preached to them" The fact 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 137 

that she includes within her pale a larger portion 
of the poor in this world's goods, both in Europe 
and America, than any other church, has been 
considered by some as a reproach ; but such 
should remember that our Saviour included the 
fact that, " the poor have the gospel preached 
to them," among the proofs of his Messiahship. 
Thus speaks Rev. Abel Stevens on this subject, 
u Much of what was our frontier, but since has 
become the most important states of the Union, 
would have passed through the forming period of 
its character destitute, to a great extent, of the 
influence of Christian institutions. But the 
Methodist itinerancy has borne the cross, not 
only in the midst, but in the van of the hosts of 
emigration. Methodist itinerants are found 
with their horses and saddle-bags, threading the 
trail of the savage, cheering and blessing with 
their visits the loneliest cottage on the farthest 
frontier. They have gone to aboriginal tribes, 
and have gathered into the pale of the church 
more of the children of the forest than any 
other sect ; they have scaled the rocky moun- 
tains , and are building up Christianity and civil- 
ization on the shores of the Columbia ; they are 
12 



138 



REASONS FOR 



hastening down towards the capitol of Montezu- 
ma, (which they have now reached,) while, 
throughout the length and breadth of our older 
states, they have been spreading a healthful in- 
fluence, which has affected all classes, so that 
their cause includes not only a larger aggregate 
population than any other sect, but, especially, 
a larger proportion of those classes whose moral 
elevation is the most difficult and the most im- 
portant.'' Dr. Baird, (a Presbyterian) in his 
late invaluable work on Religion in America, 
speaking of difficult portions of our moral field, 
exclaims, " Blessed be God, there is a way, as 
I shall show hereafter, by which some of the 
evils here spoken of may be mitigated, and that 
is by the system of itinerant preaching employed 
so extensively and usefully by the Methodists." 
And again he says, " It has been said with 
truth, that the Methodist church is in its very 
structure, emphatically missionary, and it is an 
inexpressible blessing that it is so, as the United 
States strikingly prove. The whole country is 
embraced in one General Conference : it is 
again subdivided into annual conferences, each 
including a large extent of territory, and divided 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 139 



into districts. Eacli district comprehends several 
circuits (and stations,) and within each circuit 
there are from five or six to above twenty 
preaching places." He then describes the man- 
ner in which the circuit preacher visits and 
conducts regular service in each of these places, 
either in " a church, school-room, or dwelling 
house," on the Sabbath in the larger places, 
and on a week day, or evening, in others. He 
adds, " thus the gospel is carried into thousands 
of remote spots, in which it never would be 
preached upon the plan of having a permanent 
clergy, planted in particular districts and 
parishes." It was a remark, I believe, of the 
celebrated Dr. Witherspoon, that " he needed 
no other evidence that the Rev. John Wesley 
was a great man, than what the system of itin- 
erating preaching presented to his mind, and of 
which that wonderful man was the author." 
The observation was a just one. It is a system 
of vast importance in every point of view, capa- 
ble of being made to send its ramifications into 
almost every corner of the country, and to carry 
the glad tidings of salvation into the most remote 
and secluded settlements, as well as to the more 



140 



REASONS FOR 



accessible and populous towns and neighbor- 
hoods." 

6. It avoids all those difficulties which nat- 
urally, if not necessarily, grow out of the practice 
of settling ministers for an indefinite number of 
years. As a very natural result, one part of 
the society will become dissatisfied, and call for 
a change, and begin to agitate the matter ; this 
excites those of an opposite opinion, and they 
become aroused, and division of the society in 
feeling, and often in fact, takes place. If the 
minister remains, his usefulness is at an end, and 
if he goes, it will be almost certain that his suc- 
cessor will not please his particular friends ; and 
so the church is rent, and the cause of Christ 
is wounded in the house of his friends. But not 
unfrequently the minister becomes one of the 
party, and a prosecution perhaps is the result, 
and in some instances as many as half a dozen 
lawsuits have resulted from an effort to dismiss 
a settled minister. There is scarcely a society 
of long standing among the settled order, but 
has seen more or less of these troubles, and not 
a few have been nearly or quite ruined by them. 
The ecclesiastical history of New England is 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



141 



foil of these minister and society controversies. 
The practice of hiring by the year is but little 
less liable to these difficulties. It leaves the 
minister in constant suspense as to the time of 
his stay, being liable to dismissal at the end of 
every year, with no place to which he can go 
until he has time to find one, and in cases of 
removal, which are frequent when left at the 
option of the people, some months will ordina- 
rily intervene before he will find another loca- 
tion, or the church be left another pastor. He 
and his family are all the time on expense, and 
the church is destitute. Nothing is more com- 
mon in looking over the minutes of their associ- 
ations, than to see a large number of churches 
marked " destitute." We do not wonder that 
they are becoming weary of this kind of itiner- 
ancy, for it possesses all the disadvantages with 
an insupportable addition, and scarcely any of 
the advantages of our system. I was interested 
in reading the pastoral address of two Baptist 
associations to their members, urging several 
reasons against so frequent removals, most of 
which were really valid objections, and applica- 
ble to their way of doing it, but had not the 



142 



f 

REASONS FOR 



least bearing upon our systematic itinerancy. 
We will conclude this topic with a short extract 
from a distinguished writer in the " Encyclo- 
paedia of Religious Knowledge," and one of 
the settled order. He says : " Notwithstanding 
the prejudices of mankind, and the indiscretions 
of some individuals, an itinerant teacher is one 
of the most honorable and useful characters to 
be found upon earth ; and there needs no other 
proof than the experience of the church in all 
ages, that, where this work is done properly 
and with perseverance, it forms the grand 
method of spreading wide, and rendering effica- 
cious, religious knowledge ; for great reforma- 
tions and revivals of religion have uniformly 
been thus affected ; and it has been especially 
sanctioned by the example of Christ and his 
apostles, and recommended as the divine method 
of spreading the gospel through the nations of 
the earth." 

Intimately connected with the Methodist itin- 
erancy is the practice of extemporaneous preach- 
ing. While nearly all others at the present day 
are in the habit of reading sermons, Methodist 
ministers preach them. In this respect at 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



143 



least, they are in the true " Apostolical succes- 
sion," or in the practice of the course pursued 
by the Saviour and his apostles, as well as the 
whole primitive church in which, such an anomaly 
as reading sermons was not known. But Meth- 
odists do not justify it on this ground merely, 
but because it is the more effectual mode of 
preaching ; not but that men do good that read 
their sermons, but who ever heard of a man 
who was wholly confined to his notes, having a 
powerful revival of religion under his preaching ? 
The fact that all denominations, who make special 
efforts for revivals, lay aside their note books at 
such times, and address themselves direct to the 
people, shows that reading sermons, though it 
may enable the minister to exhibit his talent as 
a writer, and to please and astonish the hearer, 
yet it does not " convert the sinner from the 
error of his way." Few souls, comparatively, 
we apprehend were ever brought to Christ by 
hearing sermons read, though we do not doubt 
but some have, as others have been by reading 
good books at home. 

Rev. J. Porter, in his recent and deservedly 
popular work on revivals, says : " Preaching 



144 



REASONS FOR 



should be extempore. If the business of the 
ministry was only to announce the truth, the 
case would be different. But an effect is to be 
secured, which requires the soul's deepest sym- 
pathy, and the fullest manifestation of it, in 
treating with sinners ; a sympathy arising from 
Christian affection, and, aroused by the present 
discovery of the ruinous results of continued 
impenitence, rather than by reading the con- 
ceptions of other days, and perhaps of other 
minds. It is not enough for the hearer to see 
his minister weeping over the touching language 
of a studied manuscript, written he knows not 
when ! He wishes to hear him speak in the 
expressive language of his present emotions. 
There is always a sort of distrust connected with 
the sight of a manuscript, chilling to the sensi- 
bilities. Besides, it is impossible for a minister 
to read with as much emj^hasis and power as 
he may speak. He needs to see his hearers, 
and have them see him. The maker of the 
6 human face divine,' gave a tongue to every 
feature, Reading deranges the whole, so that 
no one speaks naturally. There is power also 
in gesture, but reading destroys it. In fact it 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 145 



mars the whole performance. The heart is 
comparatively stupified, the hands tied, the feet 
fettered, the body often transfixed, and every 
expression of the countenance perverted. Ex- 
temporary preaching has equal advantage as a 
mode of instruction. By universal consent and 
approval, professors and teachers generally ex- 
temporize. Readers, if such an anomaly were 
to appear, would find no patronage. Parents 
wish their children to be taken under close 
and familiar tuition, and holden to the work till 
they are compelled to understand. The children 
of God, and sinners too, need a similar training. 
But why do not the judge and the advocate read ? 
What would a client say, even a sermon-reading 
minister, were his lawyer to read a plea ? 
Would he be pleased with the idea ? Is it not 
nearly certain that such a lawyer would get no 
business ? Or why is it that sermon-reading 
ministers often lay aside their notes in times of 
revival ? The answer is one — extemporary 
speaking is the more effective. So we believe, 
and so we teach, and the history of preaching 
sustains us in our position. 

" But aside from all these considerations, ex- 
13 



146 



REASONS FOR 



temporary preaching was the model style. 
Jesus Christ we think was never suspected of 
preaching a written sermon. He spake from 
other influences than that of a manuscript. 
The message was in his heart and mind, and he 
preached from the intensity of his love for a per- 
ishing world. And so did the apostles, who tes- 
tified of his resurrection. Reading sermons is a 
modern invention, owing its origin to political 
jealousy. With that jealousy it should have 
passed away into everlasting disuse." 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 147 



CHAPTER VII. 

FRUITS OF METHODISM. 

In concluding this subject we will notice 
briefly some of the fruits of Methodism ; for 
our Saviour has told us that, " by their fruits 
ye shall know them." Let us apply this rule 
to the history and present state of the Methodist 
church in comparison with other churches. 
Methodism had its beginning as an organization 
in England, and is known there by the name of 
Wesleyan Methodism. It commenced but about 
one hundred years ago ; yet there are now 
16,226 preachers, travelling and local ; 459,454 
members ; equalling in numbers all the other 
dissenting churches. But their usefulness is 
seen still more in their missionary operations. 
They have 295 missionary stations, 417 mission- 
aries, with 106,445 members. The amountraised 
by them last year for missions was $508,800. 
Then there are 100,000 of other Methodist 



148 



REASONS FOR 



bodies not reckoned in the above number. 
Methodism is much younger in England than 
most of the other dissenting churches, yet now 
she outnumbers them all counted together, and 
excels them all in the missionary work. May 
we not learn something from these facts in ref- 
erence to her advantages for doing good ? Also 
with reference to the estimation in which she is 
held by the Great Head of the church ? 

But how is it in this country ? Methodism 
has existed here as an organized body a little 
more than sixty years ; and including the dif- 
ferent branches of the Methodist family, who 
all hold the same faith, they now number 
1,243,649 members. The northern portion of the 
Methodist Episcopal church has seven colleges, 
thirty-eight seminaries and one Theological or 
Biblical Institution. The Baptist denomina- 
tion is more than one hundred years older in 
this country, and claims to be the only people 
who obey God, in keeping the ordinances as he 
requires, and in reality the only church in exist- 
ence, — as baptism, they say, is the only door 
into the church, and they are the only consist- 
ent baptized believers; yet, including all the 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 149 



different denominations of Baptists, a large 
portion of whom hold nothing in common, ex- 
cept immersion, they have 921,073 members, 
about 300,000 less than the Methodists ; while 
in England they are less than half their number. 
The Congregationalist church, whose history is 
as old as the country, possessing every earthly 
advantage, has a little short of 200,000 mem- 
bers, not quite one sixth as many as the Meth- 
odist. The Protestant Episcopal church, which 
arrogates to itself the title of " the church," in 
the most exclusive sense, has 72,099 members ; 
about one-seventeenth of the number of the 
Methodist. Surely, whom doth the Lord 
delight to honor ? We have made these com- 
parisons simply to show the great efficiency of 
Methodism, and for no other purpose. And 
what do we see ? We see a denomination com- 
mencing long after the field was occupied by 
others, and contending at every step with the 
popular feeling in favor of previously existing 
churches, and the strong prejudices of the 
people against its doctrines and usages. Most 
of its members are poor in this world's goods, 
its ministry is for the most part unlearned in the 



150 



REASONS FOR 



wisdom of the schools, yet in about fifty years 
it outnumbers all. But, is it said great in- 
crease of numbers is no proof of great useful- 
ness ? We admit that it is not where evidence 
of piety is not made a test of membership ; but 
who will say that the members of the Methodist 
church are not as uniformly pious as any other 
denomination ? No candid man will say this : 
for it is not true. Therefore, in this and all 
similar cases, increase of numbers during a series 
of years is a proper test of usefulness. But 
not where people are converted by force of 
arms, or received into the church without being 
made any better, as in the case of the Roman- 
ists. 

" Had Methodists been rich in this world's 
goods, their success might have been attributed 
to this cause ; but like the Saviour and his early 
disciples, they have generally been poor. They 
could not appeal to the pride and vanity of the 
world by erecting splendid churches, and other- 
wise making a great display, if they were 
disposed. They have had to preach in private 
dwellings, school-houses, barns, and in the open 
air, till they could erect churches. And many 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 151 



of these, for the want of means, have had to be 
small, and often out of place, and uninviting. 
And the world has looked on and mocked, and 
professors of religion have not unfrequently 
joined in the sport. This same cause has been 
an occasion of reproach to preachers, who have 
often had to live in a style directly calculated 
to lessen the respect of community for them, 
and also for their enterprise. But God has 
prospered their work, nevertheless, and their 
word has been with power. 

" Yes, in spite of all these disadvantages — in 
the face of popular scorn — of open and violent 
persecution — of oppressive legislation, and of 
a regular settled ministry, they have been able 
to outstrip all other sects, and to stand first in 
numbers and in efficiency, in converting sinners 
to God, which is the principal work of the 
church and ministry, and the proper test of 
their usefulness." 

The following tribute to the Methodist Epis- 
copal church, from the pen of Dr. Baird, a 
Presbyterian, was written before the separation 
of the Southern Conferences. 

" Since its organization in 1784, though not 



\ 

152 REASONS FOR 



"without its share of difficulties, its career, upon 
the whole, has been remarkably prosperous, and 
God has enabled it to overcome every hindrance 
with wonderful success. We have seen the 
numerical amount of its members sixty years 
ago, to be 15,000 ; in 1843, it was 1,068,525 
communicants. And the probable proportion 
of the community under the influence of this 
church's ministry, is 5,000,000. Surely we 
may well exclaim, ' What hath God wrought ! * 
It covers the whole land with its net-work system 
of stations and circuits, and carries the gospel 
into thousands of the most remote as well as the 
most secluded and thinly peopled neighborhoods. 
This denomination has made great exertions to 
increase the number of its church edifices within 
the last few years. But its itinerating ministers 
preach in thousands of places where no such 
buildings are yet erected, or at least none be- 
longing to that denomination. In these cases 
they hold their meetings in school houses, court 
houses, and private houses. No American 
Christian who takes a comprehensive view of the 
progress of religion in this country, and con- 
siders how wonderfully the means and instru- 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 153 



mentalities employed are adapted to the wants 
of that country, can hesitate for a moment to 
bless God for having, in his mercy, provided 
them all. Nor will he fail to recognize in the 
Methodist economy, as well as in the zeal, the 
devoted piety, and the efficiency of its ministry, 
one of the most powerful elements in the reli- 
gious prosperity of the United States, as well 
as one of the firmest pillars of their civil and 
political institutions " 

" But this is only a partial view of the success 
of Methodism. We must look to the records 
of other churches if we will have any adequate 
conception of what it has done. There are 
thousands and tens of thousands among them 
who were awakened and converted through the 
instrumentality of Methodists. Many things 
have contributed to draw them away from their 
spiritual relations, and they have settled down 
in church fellowship with those who never 6 tra- 
vailed in birth 5 for them.* 

* For however much they may complain of " noisy Meth- 
odist meetings/' or be shocked at their " excitement and want 
of order " they are ever ready to receive the fruits of revivals 
among Methodists, making no objection to the convert's 
" hope," though it was obtained at a camp-meeting. 



154 



REASONS FOR 



" But these churches have been more especially 
benefited by Methodism in another way. It has 
* provoked ' them to love and good works. 
Their ministers are better preachers, better 
pastors, and better Christians — they have more 
zeal and *enterprize — preach less error and 
more truth, and otherwise labor more appro- 
priately than when Methodism was first intro- 
duced among them. And their people have 
improved in the same ratio. Where the family 
altar was entirely neglected, it now smokes with 
acceptable incense. Where there were but two 
meetings in a week, and those in the parish 
church, there are now several, in various places, 
to accommodate the people. Where there were 
pride and worldly amusement, with little piety 
and enterprise, there are now to be found Chris- 
tian activity and devotion to God. Such has 
been the effect of Methodism upon them, that 
churches which feared and trembled at the 
approach of the itinerant, have become firmer, 
more united and spiritual than they ever were 
before, and have reason to bless God for the 
Providence which brought so useful an agency 
among them. Had we not succeeded in forming 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



155 



a single church, or in doing any other good, the 
influence we have exerted on surrounding de- 
nominations is an abundant compensation for all 
our sacrifices." Such are some of the fruits of 
Methodism. 

We have now given our principal reasons for 
becoming a Methodist. It was not, therefore, 
because we consider the Methodist Episcopal 
church the only true or Christian church. We 
had become fully satisfied that there was no one 
of the different churches, which could with the 
least propriety claim to be "the church," in 
that exclusive sense in which this phrase is 
used by Episcopalians, and no less claimed by 
the principles of the Baptist church in regard 
to baptism and the communion, for this would 
imply an exclusive right to the Divine blessing. 
Nothing is more manifest than that no one 
church can, without making themselves ridic- 
ulous in the eyes of all sober men, lay any claim 
to such exclusive honor. Much less those who 
are far behind their neighbors in usefulness. 
The most that can be said of any church in this 
respect is, that its doctrines are freer from error, 
that its economy is better adapted to strengthen 



156 



REASONS FOE, 



the Christian in the graces of the spirit, con- 
vert sinners from the error of their ways, and 
that greater success has attended its labors, 
more sinners having been saved through its in- 
strumentality. This we think we have shown 
to be true of Methodism. Let the reader judge. 
I found much to admire and love in the Congre- 
gationalist church — the evangelical character 
of her doctrines, the manifest piety of her 
members, their zeal and liberality in supporting 
the benevolent institutions of the church, as well 
as the truly Catholic spirit which at the present 
day quite generally prevails among both her 
ministry and membership. For these noble, 
praiseworthy, and most important traits of char- 
acter, I respect and love her, and rejoice to be 
found laboring in fellowship with such a people. 
But not believing in the doctrines of Calvinism, 
and finding them on examination, interwoven 
with every part of her system of theology, I 
could not believe it my duty to seek a home 
within her pale, and thereby adopt her senti- 
ments, and place myself under an obligation to 
defend them, especially when the Methodist 
church afforded me all these advantages and 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 157 



even more, and was perfectly free from the 
influence of Calvinism. 

The Calvinist Baptist church I respect and 
love, for her evangelical character. I admire 
her zeal in laboring to convert sinners at home, 
and to carry the gospel to the heathen abroad. 
But as she is equally Calvinistic with Congrega- 
tionalists and Presbyterians, I could not consist- 
ently embrace her doctrines — much less adopt 
her exclusive and bigoted sentiments in regard 
to baptism and the communion. And there is a 
strong resemblance between her sentiments on 
this subject and the unfounded and ridiculous 
pretensions of Episcopalians to "Apostolical 
succession," This was strikingly illustrated by 
the following circumstance. Two young men, 
class-mates in college, both entered the min- 
istry. One became an Episcopalian, the other 
a Close-Communion Baptist. The Episcopalian, 
on a visit to his old class-mate, spent the Sab- 
bath with him, and preached for him in the 
morning ; — during recess the Baptist brother 
seemed quite troubled about something, and 
just before the commencement of the service he 
remarked, " Brother, we were highly pleased 



158 



REASONS FOR 



with your sermon, but I am sorry it happens so, 
we have our communion this afternoon, and I 
really wish we could invite you to commune 
with us, but you know we don't think you have 
been baptized, and so I suppose we could not 
do it." " Very well," replied the Episcopalian, 
" I could not receive the sacrament at your 
hands, for I don't think you have been or- 
dained." 

This striking similarity between their views 
and the intolerant claims of the Episcopal church, 
has led the Baptists in England to give up their 
close communion in very many places, and many 
of her ablest men have renounced it altogether ; 
and although the Baptists here seem to cling the 
closer to their intolerant principles, yet we believe 
the time will come when such an anomaly as 
close communion will not be known ; when all 
God's family will set down at the same table, 
when "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and 
Judah shall not vex Ephraim." But so long 
as these intolerant claims are held by Episco- 
palians and Baptists, so long will that proselyting 
and uncharitable spirit which is now so fre- 
quently witnessed, (and greatly to the disad- 



BECOMING A METHODIST. 



159 



vantage of pure religion) be seen as the natural 
and almost necessary fruits of these intolerant 
principles. But, says Mr. Remington, " The 
practice of close communion does not lead to 
bigotry ; if it did, the Baptists would have been 
persecutors." But he should remember that the 
spirit of persecution is often seen in other forms 
than in imprisonments, racks and tortures, and 
that it will be quite in time for Baptists to boast in 
this matter when they have once had the whip 
in their hands and refused to use it. He would 
do well also to remember the saying of their 
great apostle, Robert Hall, viz. : That their 
views of the communion were equally intolerant 
with the bigoted principles of Romanism, that 
the one was " the intolerance of power, the 
other of weakness." That they do lead to 
bigotry, he (Mr. Remington) has himself shown, 
as any one may see by reading his two pam- 
phlets, the first, " Reasons for Becoming a Bap- 
tist," written when he had just embraced these 
sentiments ; the other, " Defence of Restricted 
Communion," when he had not only embraced 
the theory, but the spirit also, the fruits of 
which are seen in the gross perversions and 



160 



REASONS, ETC. 



misrepresentations of the discipline of a church, 
to which he owed, under God, the salvation of 
his soul. 

In conclusion we remark, that although it was 
at a sacrifice of w T orldly influence, or popu- 
larity, that we joined the Methodist church, yet 
we bless the day when we entered its pale. 
The longer we live in the church, and the more 
we see of its true character and usefulness, the 
more we admire, love and venerate it. May 
God preserve her primitive simplicity of doctrine, 
the wisdom of her economy, and the deep piety 
and earnest burning zeal of her ministry and 
membership. 




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